Philosophy of Language - AFS100806

• Title: Philosophy of Language
• Guaranteed by: Institute of Philosophy and Religious Studies (21-UFAR)
• Faculty: Faculty of Arts
• Actual: from 2025 to 2025
• Semester: summer
• Points: 0
• E-Credits: 5
• Examination process: summer s.:
• Hours per week, examination: summer s.:2/0, Ex [HT]
• Capacity: unlimited / unknown (35)
• Min. number of students: unlimited
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan; enabled for web enrollment; priority enrollment if the course is part of the study plan
• Guarantor: Sybren Heyndels, Ph.D.; Dr. Álvaro Domínguez Armas
• Teacher(s): Dr. Álvaro Domínguez Armas; Sybren Heyndels, Ph.D.
• Class: Exchange - 08.1 Philosophy

Annotation

This course offers an overview of some of the main topics in philosophy of language. We will read a selection of classical writings in (predominantly) 20th century philosophy of language on the following topics: meaning, reference, names, descriptions, demonstratives and indexicals, generics, pragmatics, speech acts, silencing, and oppressive language. Next to these classical writings, the course will also follow the textbook 'Philosophy of Language: The Basics' by Ethan Nowak (2024).<br>

Last update: Heyndels Sybren, Ph.D. (19.01.2026)

Course completion requirements

The final grade will be based on (1) active participation (25%), and (2) a written exam at the end of the semester (75%). Active participation includes mandatory presence (max. three absences starting from the end of the registration deadline), doing the preparatory readings, and participation in the discussion during the classes.

Last update: Heyndels Sybren, Ph.D. (08.01.2026)

Literature

All the necessary, recommended and additional readings can be found on the Moodle page of this course: https://dl1.cuni.cz/course/view.php?id=18741.

Last update: Heyndels Sybren, Ph.D. (19.01.2026)

Syllabus

Here is an overview of the semester (small changes might still be made before the beginning of the semester):

17 February: Introduction

24 February: Sense and Reference

• Frege G. 1892. Sense and Reference

3 March: Names

• Lecture 2 from Kripke S. 1980. Naming and Necessity

10 March: Definite Descriptions

• Russell B. 1905. On Denoting

17 March: Indexicals and Demonstratives

• Perry J. 1997. Indexicals and Demonstratives

24 March: Generics

• Leslie S.J. 2008. Generics: Cognition and Acquisition

7 April: TBC

14 April: Meaning and Intention

• Grice P. 1957. Meaning

21 April: Pragmatics

• Grice P. 1975. Logic and Conversation

28 April: Speech Acts I: Constatives vs. Performatives, Felicity Conditions

• Lecture II in Austin, J.L. (1962) How to do things with words

5 May: Speech Acts II: Taxonomoy of Speech Acts and Uptake

• Lecture IX in Austin, J.L. (1962) How to do things with words

12 May: Speech Acts III: Oppressive Language

• Langton R. 1993. Speech Acts and Unspeakable Acts

19 May: Q&A

Last update: Heyndels Sybren, Ph.D. (19.01.2026)