Back
| Semester | spring semester 2023 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Piera Filippi (piera.filippi@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | During the course, students will learn to read and interpret philosophical and empirical work on meaning and arbitrariness in humans and nonhuman animals. The following topics will be covered: 1. Introduction to the concept of “meaning” in key theories of language. 2. Empirical work on meaning and arbitrariness in animals’ vocal and gestural communication. 3. Notions of arbitrariness. 4. Research on meaning and arbitrariness within the framework of language evolution studies. 5. The effect of non-arbitrary sound-meaning associations in language development. |
| Learning objectives | The overarching goal of this course is to develop the students’ knowledge on the concepts of meaning and arbitrariness within a comparative and evolutionary perspective across species. Specifically, students attending this course will improve their competences in relation to the following questions: 1. How can we analyze the concept of meaning within a cross-species perspective? 2. What are the notions involved in the concept of arbitrariness? 3. What is the role of non-arbitrary and arbitrary units in language development and language evolution? 4. What do animals’ signals mean? 5. Are nonhuman animals’ signals arbitrary? In addition, to reach the overall goal of the course, we will work on the following methodological sub-aims: 1. Read and interpret philosophical work, connecting concepts across key theories of language. 2. Develop critical approach on empirical research on meaning and arbitrariness in human and nonhuman animals. 3. Practice interdisciplinary thinking through connecting philosophical concepts and empirical findings in biology and psycholinguistics. |
| Bibliography | A full list of references will be provided in the first sessions of the seminar. - Lycan, W. G. (2018). Philosophy of language: A contemporary introduction. Routledge. - Seyfarth, R. M., & Cheney, D. L. (2017). The origin of meaning in animal signals. Animal Behaviour, 124, 339-346. - Dingemanse, M., Blasi, D. E., Lupyan, G., Christiansen, M. H., & Monaghan, P. (2015). Arbitrariness, iconicity, and systematicity in language. Trends in cognitive sciences, 19(10), 603-615. |
| Admission requirements | Nur für Studierende, die bereits mind. 8 KPs in Philosophie erworben haben. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Thursday | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 105 |
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 23.02.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 105 |
| Thursday 02.03.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Fasnachstferien |
| Thursday 09.03.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 105 |
| Thursday 16.03.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 105 |
| Thursday 23.03.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 105 |
| Thursday 30.03.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 105 |
| Thursday 06.04.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Ostern |
| Thursday 13.04.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 105 |
| Thursday 20.04.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 105 |
| Thursday 27.04.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 105 |
| Thursday 04.05.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 105 |
| Thursday 11.05.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 105 |
| Thursday 18.05.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Auffahrt |
| Thursday 25.05.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Steinengraben 5, Seminarraum klein 301 |
| Thursday 01.06.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 105 |
| Modules |
Modul: Probleme der Theoretischen Philosophie (Bachelor's degree subject: Philosophy) Modul: Theoretische Philosophie (Master's degree subject: Philosophy) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Philosophie |