Next week we will finish our discussion about the Private Language Argument. After that, we will move on to talk about Hare’s The Language of Morals. I will specify the relevant sections in the next day or two. In the meantime, I wanted to give you some suggestions for how to prepare for our next meeting.

Following up on the discussion today about Physicalism, I thought I’d point you to a paper that does a nice job at spelling out what the possible views are:

David Chalmers, “Consciousness and its place in Nature”. Reprinted in: Chalmers, D. (ed.), Philosophy of Mind: Classical and Contemporary Readings, New York: OUP, 2002.

See in particular the section entitled ‘Type B Materialism’. (I’ve posted an electronic version of the paper in the Dropbox folder.)

For next Monday, re-read §§30-36 of the Investigations (available in the Dropbox folder). Also re-read the section entitled ‘Conceptual Prerequisites of Ostensive Definitions’ in Soames’ Philosophical Analysis in the Twentieth Century, vol. 2, pp. 6-8.

If we have time, we will start discussing the Private Language Argument. This will occupy us for the rest of the week. On this, read §§243–259 and skim §§259–315 (in the Dropbox folder). You may also want to take a look at the section entitled ‘The Private Language Argument’ in Soames’ Philosophical Analysis, vol. 2, pp. 44–59.

We will continue the discussion from today. Read the Philosophical Investigations, §30-26 §§30-36. I will make this available electronically through the Dropbox folder.

In addition to this, there will be a short reading assignment due before our next meeting, corresponding to §6-21. The assignment will be posted in the next day or two.

Remember there is no class on Monday (University holiday).

UPDATE: You may also want to look at Soames’ Philosophical Analysis in the Twentieth Century, vol. 2, pp. 6-8.

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