Final Exam, Phil. 154

Fall 2003, Prof. Dowden

 

1. Some linguists claim that the linguistic competencies of human beings cannot be explained without presupposing innate, genetically transmitted linguistic capacities.  What grounds can they offer in support of this claim?

2. Describe the theory of mentalese, the language of thought; and describe how one can argue for it being correct.

3. Discuss Wittgenstein's private language argument.

4. Discuss Carnap’s views that he presented in his 1950 article “Empiricism, Semantics, and Ontology”.  [Hints: propositions, Vienna Circle, external question, existents are values of variables.]


PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND LETTERS
Updated: June 15, 2004