Universität Wien
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180167 VO-L Introduction to formal semantics (2022S)

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 18 - Philosophie
Moodle

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Details

Language: German

Examination dates

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

Please note that the first session is already on 2 March 2022.

This lecture course will be held in-person, if the covid-situation allows. Since there will be no sessions from mid-April to the end of May, there will be a block of three online sessions on Friday, 8 April 2022. These sessions will be recorded, and you may watch them over the course of April-May.

Please notice the *tutorial course* in formal semantics, which I *highly* recommend. Practising what you learn in the lecture course is essential for gaining an understanding of formal semantics. The tutorial will also run in April and May.

  • Wednesday 02.03. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal A UniCampus Zugang Hof 2 2F-EG-32
  • Wednesday 09.03. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal A UniCampus Zugang Hof 2 2F-EG-32
  • Wednesday 16.03. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal A UniCampus Zugang Hof 2 2F-EG-32
  • Wednesday 23.03. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal A UniCampus Zugang Hof 2 2F-EG-32
  • Wednesday 30.03. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal A UniCampus Zugang Hof 2 2F-EG-32
  • Wednesday 06.04. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal A UniCampus Zugang Hof 2 2F-EG-32
  • Friday 08.04. 09:45 - 11:15 Digital
  • Friday 08.04. 11:30 - 13:00 Digital
  • Friday 08.04. 15:00 - 16:30 Digital
  • Wednesday 08.06. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal A UniCampus Zugang Hof 2 2F-EG-32
  • Wednesday 15.06. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal A UniCampus Zugang Hof 2 2F-EG-32
  • Wednesday 22.06. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal A UniCampus Zugang Hof 2 2F-EG-32
  • Wednesday 29.06. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal A UniCampus Zugang Hof 2 2F-EG-32

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Formal semantics is the study of meaning, using logical-mathematical tools. The main objective of the lecture course is to understand how competent speakers of a natural language such as German and English come to understand the meaning of simple expressions (words, morphemes) or complex expressions (compounds, phrases, sentences) of their language.

The lecture has three parts. In the first we ask: What is meaning? What is truth-conditional semantics? What are the reasons for thinking that there is a compositional semantics for English to be found?
In the second part, we will introduce some of the central concepts of linguistics as well as some basic tools from syntax and set theory, which we will need for the analysis of the meaning of German expressions.
In the third part – which will take up the majority of the semester, we investigate the semantic treatment of a variety of expression types in German, many of which are of great interest to the philosophy of language as well.

This lecture course is an introduction to the *craft* of doing formal semantics. We will focus on doing semantics and learning its central techniques. The analysis of ordinary-language expressions with the means of formal semantics has become an essential tool in many areas of contemporary philosophy. The lecture will be of interest for students of linguists as well.

Attendance of the accompanying tutorial is highly recommended. In the tutorial, you will practise and apply the concepts and methods introduced in the lecture. The tutorial is also an ideal way to prepare for the final exam.

Assessment and permitted materials

This second exam will be held in person, if pandemic-related regulations continue to allow us to do so. Should we be forced to have the exam online, you’ll be notified in time via a message from the course’s Moodle platform.
Further information on the exam, with advice on how to prepare, can be found on Moodle.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

The passing grade ("satisfactory") requires 60% of the maximum points in the final exam.
Grade 1: 100%–85%
Grade 2: 77%–84,9%
Grade 3: 69%–76,9%
Grade 4: 60%–68,9%
Grade 5: 0%–59,9%

Examination topics

The exam will cover the content of the lectures, as well as the mandatory reading:
(1) The course script (available at the beginning of the term, digitally and as a reader)
(2) Selections from Irene Heim & Angelika Kratzer: Semantics in Generative Grammar. Blackwell, 1998 (in English)

Reading list

The mandatory reading consists of:
(1) The course script (available at the beginning of the term, digitally and as a reader)
(2) Selections from Irene Heim & Angelika Kratzer: Semantics in Generative Grammar. Blackwell, 1998 (in English)

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Th 11.05.2023 11:27