Texts:

• Classics of Analytic Philosophy, edited by Robert Ammerman, and
• additional readings placed on reserve at the Reserve desk in the Kemp Library.

Course Topics:

This course will deal with the history of Anglo-American philosophy in the 20^th Century. This tradition has come to be known as Analytic philosophy. While varying widely in their positions on particular issues, philosophers in this tradition share the view that an important task for philosophy is analysis. That is, to effectively deal with puzzling statements and questions it is important is to clarify their logical structure and content. Therefore, they are moved to investigate the nature of language, meaning, and representation. Among the figures we will examine are Frege, Russell, Wittgenstein, Carnap and the Logical Positivists, Quine, and Kripke. Among the topics which will be raised are theories of reference (how the mind may think about an object), the nature of meaning and language use, the distinction between observation and theoretical claims, the role of observation in confirming theory, the distinction between science and metaphysics, and the metaphysical riddle of non-being. We will also have occasion to look at how figures the phenomenological and existential tradition dealt with some of these issues. What follows is a more detailed description of the course contents:

Analytic Philosophy. The term reflects the importance placed on a proper understanding of language as a tool for grappling with philosophical issues. Attention is paid to matters of syntax, logical form, theories of linguistic meaning, and the ordinary use of terms.

The background to the tradition might be said to be the radical empiricism of David Hume and the British Idealism of e.g., F. H. Bradley. The tradition might be thought of as sympathetic to the empiricism of Hume and rebelling against the metaphysics of Bradley. Hence, two themes in the course will be the working out of an acceptable empiricism and arguments for the rejection of metaphysics. Both are prominent in the Logical Positivist movement.

The early figures. Ironically, the fountainhead of the tradition is a German, Gottlob Frege, a mathematician working at the university in Jena at the turn of the century. He is the most important logician since Aristotle. One might consider him the Newton of logic. He was interested in analyzing the logical form of arithmetic statements. What does the term "two" refer to? This lead him to his fundamental work in logic, which lead him to his fundamental work on language and meaning.

Frege's work was largely ignored in Europe, but Bertrand Russell at Cambridge and his student, Ludwig Wittgenstein, were hugely influenced by Frege. Also on the scene in England is G. E. Moore.

The Vienna Circle. Russell and Wittgenstein had considerable influence on the Vienna Circle, the founders of Logical Positivism. This movement was very influential in Anglo-American philosophy. Even though the central figures are scientists in Europe, the diaspora provoked by Hitler's campaigns brought these figures to British and American universities.

Disciples and Critics. The views of the Positivists are precise and elegant. Unfortunately, human cognition is not. We will examine three main critics of the classical views of Frege, Russell, and the Positivists: the later Wittgenstein, Kripke, and W.Vo. Quine.

The topics we will consider in the works of these figures include: reference, theories of linguistic meaning, the structure of identity claims, of existence claims, of non-existence claims, the possibility of metaphysics, the relation of observation to theory, the theory-ladenness of observation, and the nature of mental ascriptions.

Course Work:

Three take home essay projects: first due on 3/13, the second on 4/10, and the third in exam week. I will also give out on occasion short questions for you to write on as you read the essays.

Prerequisite: PHIL 110 GE: Introduction to Philosophy, and either PHIL 221 or PHIL 357

Attendance and class participation is expected and will be factored into the overall course grade. I will expect everyone to have read the selection assigned for each class, and I will call on individuals to help us summarize in our own words the positions and arguments.
There will be take home essay exams: two during the semester and a final at the end.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
East Stroudsburg University demands academic integrity from its students. Any form of academic dishonesty, including (but not limited to) plagiarism or cheating at tests or exams, is a sufficient ground for failure in this course and for further academic discipline.