29424 - Seminars (1) (LM) (G.C)

Learning outcomes

The purposes of this Seminar cycle are those specific to seminar teaching in philosophy: (1) to train students in philosophical argumentation by stimulating discussions on the topics and texts, presented in meetings with Italian and foreign scholars; (2) to broaden and deepen philosophical knowledge through participation in lectures given by specialists in the various fields of philosophical knowledge; (3) to compare different methodological approaches to philosophy as a complement to curricular teaching.

Course contents

Antirepresentationalism – classical texts

This is a reading seminar on classical texts of antirepresentational theory. Antirepresentationalism in philosophy of language denotes theories that do not presume language neutrally represents some independent fact of the matter, but rather posits that language and reality are in some way interconnected or, at least, cannot be thought of as completely independent of one another. We will explore the various ways in which this connection has been theorized, including social constructivism, semantic externalism, considerations of transcendental nature, and many more. The course remains impartial among the proposed theories. Instead, it aims to provide participants with an overview of how antirepresentationalism has been theorized over the past few decades. In each session, we will read one or two classical texts on antirepresentational theory (or single chapters, in case the text is book-length): we will delve into the fine structure of its argumentation, scrutinize its key concepts, and contemplate its political implications when relevant. If language is not only an inherited and neutrally utilized medium but also a tool that can be altered and shaped, then what uses can and should we put it to, and how do we go about it?

At the beginning of each session, one of the participants (or a small group of participants) will present the designated text for that session, while the remaining time will be devoted to discussing the text and engaging in critical interpretation. Most of the texts will be given in English, and participants are strongly encouraged to present and discuss in English. However, active English exposition is not a prerequisite for participating in the course; participants may switch to Italian as needed and read the texts in the language they prefer. A passive knowledge of English is, however, presupposed.

The texts to be presented will be uploaded online in the second half of December, and the presentations will be assigned to individual participants in the first session. Those with strong preferences can also contact the professor beforehand via email.

Readings/Bibliography

Butler, Judith. 1993. “Imitation and Gender Insubordination.” In The Lesbian and Gay Studies Reader, edited by Henry Abelove, Michèle Aina Barale, and David M. Halperin, 307–20. New York: Routledge.

Clifford, James. 1983. “On Ethnographic Authority.” Representations, no. 2: 118–46. https://doi.org/10.2307/2928386.

———. 1986. “Introduction: Partial Truths.” In Writing Culture. The Poetics and Politics of Ethnography, edited by James Clifford and George E. Marcus, 1–26. University of California Press. https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520946286-003.

Davidson, Donald. 1973. “On the Very Idea of a Conceptual Scheme.” Proceedings and Addresses of the American Philosophical Association 47: 5–20. https://doi.org/10.2307/3129898.

———. 1986. “A Nice Derangement of Epitaphs.” In Truth and Interpretation: Perspectives on the Philosophy of Donald Davidson, edited by Ernest Lepore, 433–46. Blackwell.

———. 2001. “A Coherence Theory of Truth and Knowledge.” In Subjective, Intersubjective, Objective: Philosophical Essays Volume 3, edited by Donald Davidson, 137–58. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/0198237537.003.0010.

Derrida, Jacques. 1976. Of Grammatology. Translated by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Chapter 1.

———. 1980. “Structure, Sign, and Play in the Discourse of Th Human Sciences.” In Writing and Difference, translated by Alan Bass, 351–70. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press.

———. 1982. “Différance.” In Margins of Philosophy, translated by Alan Bass, 1–27. Brighton, Sussex: Harvester Press.

Haslanger, Sally. 2012. Resisting Reality: Social Construction And Social Critique. New York: Oxford University Press. Introduction + Chapter "Gender and Race: (what) are they? (What) do we want them to be?"

Kristeva, Julia. 1984. Revolution in Poetic Language. Translated by Margaret Waller. New York: Columbia Univ Pr.

Price, Huw. 2011. Naturalism Without Mirrors. 1st ed. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press. Chapters "Naturalism without Representationalism" + "Metaphysics after Carnap: The Ghost Who Walks?"

Quine, W. V. 1951. “Two Dogmas of Empiricism.” The Philosophical Review 60 (1): 20–43. https://doi.org/10.2307/2181906.

Quine, Willard Van Orman. 2013. Word and Object, New Edition. Edited by Dagfinn Follesdal and Patricia S. Churchland. New Edition. Cambridge, Mass: The MIT Press. Preface to the first edition + Chapter 1.

Rorty, Richard. 1972. “The World Well Lost.” The Journal of Philosophy 69 (19): 649–65. https://doi.org/10.2307/2025059.

———. 1989. Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity. Cambridge ; New York: Cambridge University Press. Chapter 1.

Spivak, Gayatri. 1988. “Can the Subaltern Speak?” In Marxism and the Interpretation of Culture, edited by Cary Nelson and Lawrence Grossberg, 271–313. Basingstoke: Macmillan.

Thomasson, Amie. 2015. Ontology Made Easy. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press. Introduction + Chapter "The Unbearable Lightness of Existence".

Teaching methods

The seminar will provide ample opportunity for discussion at the end of the presentations offered by the individual participants. The main purpose of the course is the critical, collective interpretation of the texts. Individual seminars may be enriched by the participation of specialists on the text under scrutiny for that particular session.

 

Programma seminario Antirappresentazionalismo

29.1. Introduzione e distribuzione delle letture

31.1. Non c‘è seminario

2.2. James Clifford: On ethnographic authority + Partial truths - Christopher

5.2. Derrida: «…that dangerous supplement…», in presenza del Prof. Del Vecchio (Unibo)

7.2. Derrida: Structure, sign, and play - Giorgio

9.2. Non c‘è seminario

12.2. Quine: Two Dogmas of Empiricism - Hajni

14.2. Davidson: On the very idea of a conceptual scheme - Gabriele

16.2. Rorty: A world well lost – Camilla

19.2. Quine: Word and Object, Preface first ed. +p. 1-27 - Hajni

21.2. Non c’è seminario

23.2. Davidson: A nice derangement of epitaphs - Sofia

26.2. Rorty: Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity, p. 3-22 Martina

28.2. Spivak: Can the subaltern speak? Martina

1.3. Haslanger: Gender and Race: (what) are they? (What) do we want them to be? Luisa

4.3. Butler: Imitation and Gender Insubordination - Federica

6.3. Thomasson: Introduction into Easy Ontology (Chi vuole: The unbearable lightness of existence)

8.3. Conclusione ed evaluazione

Assessment methods

Attendance of at least two-thirds of the meetings is required to be considered a participant. To obtain the “idoneità” (to pass the class), the participants must present individually or in small groups one of the texts from the syllabus to the class and take an active part in the discussion of the texts when presented by others. Moreover, participants are expected to write a short, one-page summary of three texts of their own choosing from the program.

Students with disabilities and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) Students with disabilities or Specific Learning Disorders have the right to special accommodations according to their condition, following an assessment by the Service for Students with Disabilities and SLD. Please do not contact the teacher but get in touch with the Service directly to schedule an appointment. It will be the responsibility of the Service to determine the appropriate adaptations. For more information, visit the page:

https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students

Teaching tools

Any supporting tools will be communicated during the Seminar and will be made available among the course materials.

Office hours

See the website of Yvonne Huetter-Almerigi