Lahore University of Management Sciences PHIL 312 Analytic Philosophy

Spring 2013

Instructor Room No. Office Hours Email Telephone Secretary/TA TA Office Hours Course URL (if any)

Dr. Shabbir Ahsen 215 sahsen@lums.edu.pk

Course Basics Credit Hours Lecture(s) Recitation/Lab (per week) Tutorial (per week)

4 Nbr of Lec(s) Per Week Nbr of Lec(s) Per Week Nbr of Lec(s) Per Week

Duration Duration Duration

COURSE DESCRIPTION The course has been designed to introduce to the students the main concerns of Analytic Philosophy, which has been the dominant philosophical th movement in the English speaking world during the 20 century. Analytic philosophy is not characterized by a set of doctrines but by a shared methodological stance. Broadly speaking, the stance is that philosophical problems are due to (the inappropriate use of) language; hence they can th be eliminated, at least in part, with an appropriate analysis of language. Such an approach is a reaction against the 19 century continental philosophy which attempted to give a comprehensive description of the whole of reality. Analytic Philosophy, in contrast with, emphasizes on meaning and clarity rather than providing any comprehensive system of philosophy. It attempts to clarify, by analysis, the meaning of statements and concepts. More specifically, the chief characteristic of Analytic Philosophy lies in its concern with the analysis of concepts and notions. Among these are the concepts and notions of philosophy itself, of language, both natural and artificial and of Science. (Gross) The works of some of the leading philosophers in the Analytic tradition such as Frege, Moore, Russell, Wittgenstein, the logical positivists, Quine, Ryle, Austin and others will be studied in this course. COURSE OBJECTIVES th The objective of this course is to introduce to the students the 20 century philosophical thought in the English speaking world. Such an exposure, it is expected, will provide a solid background for further studies in various areas, including philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, philosophy of mathematics, metaphysics and epistemology etc. GRADING Class attendance 10% Three Quizzes 15% Two thought papers 20% Mid term test 25% Final Examination 30%
COURSE PACKAGE

Course Package is being prepared. It includes excerpts from the original sources plus articles and chapters from different books. The following are some of the books for this course. 1) Analytic Philosophy, ed. By Martinich, A. P. and Sosa, D. Oxford: Blackwell, 2001. [Original writings] 2) Philosophy of Language: A Contemporary Introduction 2nd edition, William G. Lycan, Routledge: New York: (2008). [Very accessible-it is also referred to in courses at the graduate level as a secondary text] 3) Contemporary Analytic Philosophy, by Munitz, M. K. Macmillan Publishing Co.: New York, 1981. [A good secondary source] 4) Analytic Philosophy: A historic Introduction, by Gross, B. 5) Scott Soames, Philosophical Analysis in the Twentieth Century: The Dawn of Analysis, v. 1, NJ: Princeton, (2003). [History of Analytic

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Philosophy] Scott Soames, Philosophical Analysis in the Twentieth Century: The Age of Meaning, v. 2, NJ: Princeton, (2003). [History of Analytic Philosophy]