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| PHIL0027-1 | Contemporary philosophical texts
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| Duration : | 30h Th |
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| Number of credits : |
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| Lecturer : | Arnaud Dewalque |
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Language(s) of instruction :
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| French language |
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Organisation and examination :
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| Teaching in the first semester, review in January |
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Course contents :
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| The course is devoted to the topic of intentionality, that is to the basic ability we have to refer to the world, to be "directed towards" something (directedness) or to be "in a mental state about" something (aboutness). For the Austrian philosopher Franz Brentano (1839-1917) and, especially, for his former pupil Edmund Husserl (1859-1938), the concept of intentionality has been the subject of far-reaching controversies.
The course will include two parts. In a first phase (i), we will analyse the historical emergence of the concept of intentionality in the works of the pioneers of phenomenology. We will also examine some of the controversies which followed: the issue of the objectless presentations, of the worldly character of an intentional relation, of its transcendence. Then, in a more critical perspective (ii), we will assess the durability of the concept of intentionality in the contemporary debates and examine the new objections it is confronted with, such as externalism, the dissolution of intentionality in language as well as the contextualist objections. The examination of those points will be based on the reading of classical texts, which will be discussed during the course. |
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Learning outcomes of the course :
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| Main purpose: to clarify an important issue of contemporary philosophy. The question we will address is: what is intentionality? By the end of the course, students are supposed:
- to understand what are the main philosophical options regarding to topic of intentionality
- to see what is at stake in each of those options
- to master some conceptual technicalities
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Prerequisites and co-requisites/ Recommended optional programme components :
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| This course is aimed at students in Philosophy only. It is recommended to have followed the course: History of contemporary philosophy (PHIL0010-1, A. Dewalque). |
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Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
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| Lectures based on a series of readings. Participants are required to have and read the related text(s) for each lesson. |
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Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :
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| First lesson: September 18, 2014. See http://cipl82.philo.ulg.ac.be/horaires |
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Recommended or required readings :
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| Set books:
* K. Twardowski, On the Content and Object of Presentations(1894), engl. trans. by R. Grossmann, The Hague, Nijhoff, 1977, § 1-7.
* A. Meinong, "The Theory of Objects", engl. trans. by R. Chisholm, in R. Chisholm (ed.), Realism and the Background of Phenomenology, Glencoe, Free Press, 1960; reprint: Atascadero, Ridgeview, 1981, p. 76-117.
* E. Husserl, Logical Investigations, engl. trans. by J. N. Findlay, London, Routledge, 1973, Fifth Logical Investigation, Chapter 2: "Consciousness as Intentional Experience".
* M. Heidegger, History of the Concept of Time. Prolegomena (1925), engl. trans. by Th. Kisiel, Bloomington, Indiana University Press, 1985, § 5.
* M. Heidegger, Being and Time, § 9-18, engl. trans. by J. Macquarrie and E. Robinson, London, SCM Press, 1962.
* M. Heidegger, The Basic Problems of Phenomenology (1927), engl. trans. by A. Hofstadter, Bloomington, Indiana University Press, 1982, § 21b.
* H. Putnam, "The Meaning of 'Meaning'", in Language, Mind, and Reality. Philosophical Papers, Vol. 2, Cambridge, CUP, 1975, p. 215-271.
* J. Searle, "The Nature of Intentional States", in Id.,Intentionality. An Essay in the Philosophy of Mind, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1983; reprinted 1999, Ch. I, p. 1-36.
* E. Anscombe, "The Intentionality of Sensation: A Grammatical Feature" (1965), rééd. dans A. Noë et E. Thompson (éds.), Vision and Mind. Selected Readings in the Philosophy of Perception,Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2002, p. 55-75.
* CH. Travis, "The silence of the senses", Mind, 113 (2004), p. 54-94 (also available online).
The reading of the texts is required for students in philosophy. It is optional for listeners who follow the course without being officially registered as students. Students in philosophy are expected to have read the required text(s) for each lesson. A complete bibliography will be made available for listeners (see the attached document below). |
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Assessment methods and criteria :
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| Oral examination. |
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Work placement(s) :
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Organizational remarks :
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Contacts :
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| Arnaud Dewalque (Senior Lecturer) - a.dewalque@ulg.ac.be(-a.dewalque@ulg.ac.be
)
Charlotte Gauvry (Post-Doctoral Researcher) - c.gauvry@ulg.ac.be(c.gauvry@ulg.Ac.be
)
Dpt of Philosophy
7, Place du 20-août, Building A1/2d floor
B-4000 Liège
Phone: 0032(4)366.55.93 |
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| Items online : |
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| Practical informations |
- Printable version of the course webpage
- Schedule
- Bibliography
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