Foundations of Analytic Philosophy

Transcription

1 Foundations of Analytic Philosophy Foundations of Analytic Philosophy (2016-7) Mark Textor Lecture Plan: We will look at the ideas of Frege, Russell and Wittgenstein and the relations between them. Frege and Russell exchanged letters in which they explain their idea and criticize each other. Russell s Principles of Mathematics (1902) contains an Appendix in which he discusses Frege s doctrines and explains where and why he differs from Frege. Russell s On Denoting (1905) develops an argument that the distinction between sense and reference is deeply mysterious. In the first 7 weeks we will follow the debate between Russell and Frege. Then we will use our understanding of Frege and Russell to get a grip of the basic ideas of Wittgenstein s Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. If time permits, we will consider Wittgenstein s influence on the Vienna Circle. Primary Readings: G. Frege: - Conceptual Notation. Section 8. - Foundations of Arithmetic (1884). translated by J.L Austin. - On Sense and Reference. In B. McGuiness (ed.) Gottlob Frege: Collected Papers on Mathematics, Logic and Philosophy. Blackwell On Concept and Object. In Gottlob Frege: Collected Papers on Mathematics, Logic and Philosophy. Blackwell B. Russell:

2 - The Logical and Arithmetical Doctrines of Frege. In his The Principles of Mathematics (1902). - On Denoting. Mind 14 (1905), Repr. in Russell, Bertrand, Essays in Analysis, London: Allen and Unwin, 1973, , - Problems of Philosophy (1912) 1998, Oxford: OUP. L. Wittgenstein: - Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. (1918) Download the side-by-side edition for free here: - Gottlob Frege: Letters to Ludwig Wittgenstein. (online: - Frank Ramsey: Critical Notice of Ludwig Wittgenstein s Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. Mind 32, Secondary Texts: Frege: Kenny, A. (1995) Frege. London: Penguin. Potter, M; Ricketts, T. (2010) The Cambridge Companion to Frege. Cambridge: CUP. Weiner, J. (2004) Frege Explained. Chicago: Open Court. Russell: Bostock, D. (2012) Russell s Logical Atomism, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Hylton, P. W. (1990) Russell, Idealism, and the Emergence of Analytic Philosophy, Oxford: Clarendon. Landini, G. (2010) Russell. London: Routledge.

3 Makin, G The Metaphysicians of Meaning. London: Routledge. Stevens, G. (2006) The Russellian Origins of Analytical Philosophy, London and New York: Routledge. - (2011) The Theory of Descriptions, London: Palgrave. Wittgenstein: Anscombe, G.E.M., 1971 [1959] An Introduction to Wittgenstein's Tractatus, University of Pennsylvania Press. Fogelin, R [1976] Wittgenstein. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul Inc. McGinn, M. (2009) Elucidating the Tractatus: Wittgenstein s Early Philosophy of Logic and Language. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Morris, M. (2009) The Routledge Guidebook to Wittgenstein and the Tractatus. London: Routledge. Stenius, H. 1960, Wittgenstein's Tractatus: A Critical Exposition of its Main Lines of Thought, Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press. White, R Wittgenstein s Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. London: Bloomsbury Vienna Circle: F. Waisman (eds): Wittgenstein and the Vienna Circle: Conversations. Oxford: B. Blackwell 1983.

4 Provisional Seminar Program Please note that I am happy to modify and adapt the seminar program in the light of the seminar discussions. We will cover the topics listed, but might look in more detail at some points than at others. Week 1: Frege on Sense and reference Reading: Frege, G. (1892) On Sense and Reference. Reprinted in Frege, G. Collected Works. Oxford Week 2: Frege on Thoughts and Truth. Reading: Frege, G. (1892) On Sense and Reference. Reprinted in Frege, G. Collected Works. Oxford Week 3: Russell s Arguments against Frege Reading: Russell, B. (1902) Principles of Mathematics, (1904) Letter to Frege (12.12), in Frege, G.: Philosophical and Mathematical Correspondence. University of Chicago Press (1905) On Denoting. Reprinted in 100 Years of On Denoting. Mind 114 (2005). Week 4: Russell s Gray s Elegy Argument Reading: Russell, B. (1905) On Denoting. Reprinted in 100 Years of On Denoting. Mind 114 (2005). Week 5: How Russell tries to make do without Sense and Reference Russell, B. (1905) On Denoting. Reprinted in 100 Years of On Denoting. Mind 114 (2005) Problems of Philosophy, Chapter 5. Week 6: How Russell tries to make do without Thoughts Reading: Russell, B. (1912) The Problems of Philosophy, chapt. 13.

5 Week 7: The World according to Wittgenstein Reading: Wittgenstein, L. Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, Sentence 1ff. Week 8: Wittgenstein s Picture Theory. Reading: TLP, Sentence 2ff. Week 9: Is the Tractatus Non-Sense? Reading: TLP, Sentences 6.53, 6.54, 7. Week 10: Wittgenstein and the Vienna Circle. Reading: Schlick, M Meaning and Verification. The Philosophical Review 45, Sample Questions Foundations of Analytic Philosophy 1. What is Frege s argument for the sense-reference distinction? Is it convincing? 2. Is the application of the sense-reference distinction to sentences and/or concept-words defensible? 3. Has Frege a good argument for the conclusion that true does no signify a property? 4. Explain and assess Russell s theory of definite descriptions. 5. What is Russell s Gray s Elegy argument? 6. Explain and assess Wittgenstein s picture theory of meaning. 7. Is it true that there must be simple objects? 8. Is there an exegesis of TLP 6.54 that allows us to acquire philosophical knowledge from the TLP? 9. What is Verificationism? Is it defensible?