Joe Lau

PHIL2120 Topics in analytic philosophy

WARNING! in flux ...

General information

  • Website: http://2120.joelau.info
  • Lecturer: Dr Joe Lau, Department of Philosophy, HKU
  • Lectures: Semester 2, 2015-16. Every Monday 0930-1120 CPD 2.45 (except university and public holidays, reading week)
  • Email if you have questions or to make an appointment to discuss anything related to the course. Contact information. How to write emails.
  • Announcements: See Facebook page. Please check the page regularly for updates. If you have questions about the content discussed in the lectures, post them to Facebook rather than email the lecturer, so that other students can also participate in the discussion.
  • Information: Each week we will discuss a seminal work in the early days of analytic philosophy. You *have to* read the work before the lecture, and we shall reconstruct the arguments and try to understand the importance of the work within its historical context. Not recommended for students who have not taken a philosophy course before.

Schedule and readings

Starting from lecture #2, all lecture notes and slides will be posted to facebook.

  1. Introduction - What is analytic philosophy? slides, all on 1 page
  2. Frege (1879) Begriffsschrift (page 1-20 of Geach and Black (1960), not the PDF file page no) full version
  3. Frege (1892) On sense and reference (page 56-78 of Geach and Black (1960))
  4. Bertrand Russell (1905). On Denoting. Mind. 114 (456), 873-887.
  5. G.E. Moore (1903) Principia Ethica. Chapter 1 - The Subject Matter of Ethics
  6. A. J. Ayer (1936). Language, Truth and Logic. London, V. Gollancz, Ltd. Chapters 1-3.
  7. Hempel (1950) Problems and changes in the empiricist criterion of meaning Revue Internationale de Philosophie. 4(11), 41-63.
  8. Carnap (1950) Empiricism, Semantics, and Ontology Revue Internationale de Philosophie 4(11), 20-40.
  9. Quine (1951) Two dogmas of empiricism. Philosophical Review 60(1), 20–43.
  10. Wittgenstein (1953) Philosophical investigations §§1-43.
  11. Austin (1955) How to do things with words. Chapters I, II, VIII.

Course text: Schwartz (2012) A Brief History of Analytic Philosophy: From Russell to Rawls. Wiley-Blackwell.

Useful supplementary reading:

  • Hacker (1996) Wittgenstein's Place in Twentieth-Century Analytic Philosophy. Blackwell.
  • Soames (2003) Philosophical Analysis in the Twentieth Century. Princeton.
  • Soames (2014) The Analytic Tradition in Philosophy. Vol. 1. Princeton.

Coursework and tutorials

  • Weekly Q&A tutorial sessions will be organized each week during the semester. Starts week 2, 4-5pm 27 Jan in Joe Lau's office.
    • See Facebook for announcements of the timeslots.
    • You must come at least twice (at least once before reading week) and bring questions and comments. Marks will be deducted if you fail to attend any. You are of course encouraged to come more often. You can also make separate appointments.
  • Written work: Two short essays. Details to be updated.
    • Essay #1: deadline Friday 4 March, 800 words (40%), Essay #2: deadline Friday 6 May, 1000 words (60%). NO late submission.
    • Citation format: APA
    • Spacing: 1.5, margin: about 1 inch (2.5cm), no title page needed, word limit includes footnotes but not references +/- 5% acceptable.
    • Include your full name, email address, and student number. No separate title page needed.
    • Deadlines: Wed 9 March for essay #1, Friday 6 May for essay #2. Submission: Online through moodle.
    • Academic honesty: Make sure you read this page about plagiarism.
  • Online discussion. Facebook will be used for online discussion about the readings. Starting from week #2, for each reading, a student has to post at least one comment, reaction, or a question about the lecture or reading. Or it could be an answer or response to another person's post. They will not be graded. However, marks will be deducted for non-participation, and good posts will receive bonus points.
  • Bonus points might also be given for constructive participation in lectures and tutorials.