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The Open University

Language and thought: introducing representation

The Open University via OpenLearn

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Overview

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How does what you say come to mean something? Does what you say inherently represent what you, the speaker, think it means, whatever that might be, or does what you say carry its own meaning, separate from your intentions in saying it? This free course, Language and thought: introducing representation, introduces you to the key questions about how meaning is conveyed in language.

Syllabus

  • Introduction
  • Learning outcomes
  • 1 Introducing representation
  • 1 Introducing representation
  • 1.1 Introduction
  • 1.2 Representation and language
  • 1.3 Representation and thought
  • 1.4 Three characteristic difficulties in discussions of representation
  • 1.5 Some useful terminology and a convention
  • 1.6 Further reading
  • 2 Is the speaker's mind the source of an utterance's meaning?
  • 2 Is the speaker's mind the source of an utterance's meaning?
  • 2.1 Introduction
  • 2.2 The source of an utterance's meaning: the words used or the speaker's mind?
  • 2.3 Grice on natural and non-natural meaning
  • 2.4 The meaning of expressions versus the meaning of individual utterances
  • 2.5 Why intentions?
  • 2.6 Which intentions?
  • 2.7 Expression meaning as defined by Grice
  • 2.8 The Gricean Programme
  • 2.9 How successful is Grice's theory of the meaning of utterances?
  • 2.9.1 The Humpty objection
  • 2.9.2 Searle's objection
  • 2.10 Section summary
  • 2.11 Further reading
  • Conclusion
  • References
  • Acknowledgements

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Reviews

5.0 rating, based on 2 Class Central reviews

4.5 rating at OpenLearn based on 8 ratings

Start your review of Language and thought: introducing representation

  • Profile image for Enrique Enriquez
    Enrique Enriquez @EEnriquez
    17
    Engaging with this course offered a rigorous examination of representation's role in language and thought. The provided description accurately outlined a journey through philosophical questions, from Locke’s puzzle to Grice’s theory of non-natural meaning. Completing the modules required the stated timeframe, and the certificate of participation was duly issued. This study cultivates a nuanced understanding of how communication functions, a skill highly valuable to employers in fields requiring precise interpretation, such as law, user experience design, or artificial intelligence development.
  • Ірина Моргун
    Онлайн курс виявився надзвичайно корисним. Зручний формат навчання, доступ до матеріалів у будь-який час. Було цікаво працювати над даною темою. Дякую!
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