Course description



Analytic philosophy is a loose tradition unified neither by adherence to any particular set of views nor by use of any particular philosophical method, but rather by a series of historical connections to the work of a number of seminal early twentieth century philosophers. This course will be an introduction to analytic philosophy via the study of selected works of, some of these philosophers: G. E. Moore, Bertrand Russell, Ludwig Wittgenstein, A. J. Ayer, and W. V. Quine.

These philosophers touched on virtually every area of philosophy; depending on how far we get, we will examine their contributions to metaphysics (with special attention to logical atomism), epistemology (with special attention to the problem of skepticism about the external world and the explanation of a priori knowledge), the philosophy of language (with special attention to the distinction between surface form and logical form, the use of linguistic theses to dissolve metaphysical puzzles, and the verificationist criterion of meaning), the philosophy of mind (with special attention to the sense datum theory of perception), the philosophy of mathematics (with special attention to the logicist reduction of mathematics to logic), and ethics (with special attention to Moore's claim that goodness is a simple and unanalyzable property and the emotivist claim that ethical, political, and aesthetic sentences are expressions of attitudes which are neither true nor false).

Requirements and grading. Students will be required to attend and participate in class, do the assigned reading, take two examinations, and complete one essay. The paper and the examinations will each be worth 30% of the final grade, with class attendance and participation accounting for the final 10%. There may also be one or two ungraded 'worksheets'; completion of these will figure into the class participation grade.

The required readings are not long, but are often quite difficult. The readings listed as 'supplementary' in the detailed syllabus below will not in general be required.

Prerequisites. Introductory logic will be very helpful, but is not required. If you're unsure as to whether you should take this class, or have any other questions, you should feel free to contact me by e-mail.

Texts. There are three required texts: Ludwig Wittgenstein's Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, A. J. Ayer's Language, Truth, & Logic, and a coursepack. All will be available at Paragraphe. I will also place the relevant items on reserve at the library.

A more detailed (somewhat provisional) syllabus follows.

Unit I.       Epistemology I: Moore's Response to Skepticism

Main reading. Moore, 'Proof of an External World.'

Supplementary reading. Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy, Meditation 1.

Moore's attempt to refute skepticism about the external world on the basis of his knowledge that he has two hands.

Unit II.       Ethics I: The Open Question Argument

Main reading. Moore, Principia Ethica (selections).

Moore's argument that goodness cannot be a natural property, and his consequent view that goodness is a simple, nonnatural property.

Unit III.       Philosophy of Language I: Russell's Theory of Descriptions

Main reading. Russell, 'Descriptions'.

Russell's analysis of phrases of the form of 'the so-and-so'; his distinction between the surface form and the logical form of a sentence; and the importance of Russell's analysis in dissolving metaphysical puzzles about existence.

Unit IV.       Philosophy of Mind: Sense Datum Theories of Perception

Main reading. A. J. Ayer, Perceptual Knowledge (selections).

Background reading. Russell, 'Knowledge by Acquaintance and Knowledge by Description'.

The argument from illusion for the claim that the immediate objects of perception are mental items, and that our only perceptual access to the external world is via these sense data.

Unit V.     Metaphysics: Logical Atomism

Main reading. Russell, The Philosophy of Logical Atomism (selections); Wittgenstein, Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus

Russell's version of logical atomism, on which the basic constituents of reality are minds and sense data; his view that material objects are logical constructions out of sense data. Wittgenstein's opposed version of logical atomism; his view of necessity and possibility; and his view of value.

Unit VI.     Philosophy of Mathematics: Logicism

Main reading. Russell, Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy, ch. 2, 'Definition of number'.

Supplementary reading. Scott Soames, 'Logic and Mathematics: The Logicist Reduction' (from Philosophical Analysis in the 20th Century, v. 1).

Consideration of Russell's version of the logicist claim that arithmetical truths are disguised truths of logic. We will consider Russell's definitions of the numbers, Russell's paradox, and his theory of types.

Unit VII.     Philosophy of Language II: Verificationism

Main reading. Ayer, Language, Truth, & Logic, 'Introduction'.

The view that only those sentences whose truth or falsity may be verified by observation have a meaning; problems saying exactly what it is for a sentence to be verifiable in this sense.

Unit VIII.     Epistemology II: A priori knowledge

Main reading. Ayer, Language, Truth, & Logic, ch.4, 'The A Priori'; Quine, 'Truth by Convention'.

Ayer's claim that our a priori knowledge is explained by knowledge of linguistic stipulations, and Quine's response to this claim.

Unit IX.       Ethics II: Emotivism

Main reading. Ayer, Language, Truth, & Logic, ch. 6, 'Critique of Ethics & Theology'; Peter Geach, 'Assertion'.

Supplementary reading. C. L. Stevenson, 'The emotive meaning of ethical terms'.

The emotivist view that evaluative claims --- such as ethical, political, and aesthetic claims --- do not state facts and are neither true nor false; Geach's critique of this view.