In each session, every student will prepare a question about the readings for that day. This question should be submitted to me by email the day before the class. I will decide which ones of these questions should be posed during the class. 20% of the final grade.
Blog: 10% of the grade for posting of topics of relevance to the class (a min of 2): doubts arising from the readings, evolution-of-language making the news, etc. and 10% for comments on those posts (a min of 4). Please note: not meeting the minima will mean 0 points for blog participation. Total: 20% of the final grade.
15-20 page seminar paper. This paper must be written in English. 60% of the final grade. I will take informally into account participation in class. An engaged student can expect their grade to go up in a borderline case. A disengaged one can expect the opposite.
NB: Engaging in plagiarism can result in a failing grade for the course.
Intended Learning Outcomes:
CB6 - The course will pay attention to several aspects of the study of language that are often neglected in philosophy courses, yet are quickly gaining prominence in research: On the one hand, we will pay some attention to formal and computational models of language evolution. On the other hand, we will review some prominent contemporary ideas about signaling in animals and early humans.
CB9 - Each student will need to prepare a question about the readings for that day, and every student will formulate their question at least once. They will also participate in the academic blog for the class, where they will have to engage in discussion with their fellow students.
CG2. One of the requirements of the course is a 15-20 page seminar paper, in which students will have the opportunity to present the results of their research.
CG3. The course will feature prominently discussion of real cases of emergence of communication (baboons and other primates primarily). There will also be extended discussion of imaginary, simplified computational models.
CG4. The course will stress individual work, although participation in class will be taken informally into account.
CG5. i CE1-CE7 The course materials will provide examples of some of the best recent theorizing in the philosophical study of the emergence and evolution of language, and students will be held to high standards of academic competence.