Theories of Meaning

This course is the fourth (in fact, the last) of the series of tutorial based courses on fundamental topics in the philosophy of language and logic. As I have remarked in the introduction to the series, I have chosen as the starting point the course ‘Theories of Reference’, and then two courses The Concept of Existence and Theories of Truth follow. I would then expect that the interested student may have already had a nodding acquaintance with the philosophical concepts of reference, truth, and existence, and related issues. In particular, the student should have some brief ideas about what a theory of reference/truth/existence is intended to do and may have some background knowledge of the main theses of and disputes between different philosophers/schools with regard to the philosophical issues related to these concepts. The main concern of this course is to pay further attention to the most fundamental issue: Granted that a sentence is true, what does the sentence mean when it is stated, or asserted? From a philosophical point of view, to answer a question of this kind, we need to have clear picture of what the concept of meaning is. It is the main burden of this course to give a brief introduction to a variety of conceptions of meaning and to various different approaches to a theory of meaning. College of Liberal Arts Shuiyuan Campus Chin Mu Yang 15 Thursday 7,8,9 Phl7711 3 Half Graduate Institute of Philosophy http://www.philo.ntu.edu.tw/en/ann/

Formalization of Deductive Systems

In the course Elementary Logic, we have already studied that a deductive system in general consists of three main parts: (i) a suitable formalized language, (ii) an appropriate semantics for the given language, and (iii) a formal system of derivations. The formal language in use consists of two components (i) a class of primitive symbols, known as alphabet, and a finite set of formation rules which tells us how to construct the basic units of linguistic expressions in use, referred to as formulae/sentences (or well-formed formula, wff). The intended semantics for the given language will give interpretations for the expressions of the language so that the truth values of formulae/sentences can be evaluated. Accordingly, the notion of validity and the entailment relations can be defined. While the main concern of a formal system is to reduce reasoningor at least a sizeable part of mathematical reasoningto a finite number of rules of inference which should be in principle mechanical.

It is striking that formal logic has flourished since 1879, and by now a great number of important and significant results (in particular, those referred to as meta-theorems, such as the compactness theorem, the soundness theorem and the completeness theorem) have been discovered and proved. In the meantime, several different ways, or styles, of constructing a formal system for a certain subject matter have been proposed. That is to say, based on a given language and the same semantics, a variety of different formal systems can be constructed, each of which is equivalent to the others. and each one has its own advantages and disadvantages. One can find that, though a particular style of formal system may serve admirably for one of the uses which a logical system may be supposed to serve, none can be at all suitable for all of the uses to which logical systems have been put.

The primary concern of this course is firstly to study, in details, formal proofs of these meta-theorems; and secondly, to study the various types of th
The aim of this course is (i) to study, in details, formal proofs of the fundamental meta-theorems for propositional logic and predicate logic; and (ii) to study a variety of types of the formulation of logic systems. College of Liberal Arts Shuiyuan Campus Chin Mu Yang 15 Friday 7,8,9 Phl7714 3 Half Graduate Institute of Philosophy http://www.philo.ntu.edu.tw/en/ann/

Analytic Essays on Free Will

Do we have free will or is free will an illusion? The problem goes back at least to the Stoics. Due to developments over the last few decades in neurocience and research on the brain, it has taken central position in today’s discussion, not only in sophisticated philosophical circles but also in the popular media. The problem is related to philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, moral theory, and many other areas. In this course we will read some now almost classic essays on free will from the analytic tradition of the 20th century. We will use the book “Free Will”, second edition, edited by Gary Watson, 2003. The book has a little more than 400 pages and contains 22 essays. We will probably read one essay per week and thus not be able to read all of them. This course is not about the history of free will. It is about arguments, not about history. But the arguments have a history themselves. The course objective is to lead us to a better understanding of the problem of free will in its current debate. Free will touches on many basic problems in philosophy, such as determinism, physicalism, mind-soul identity or mind-brain identity (or duality), personal identity, and morality. We will try to arrive at a better understanding of these issues and their many ways of interconnectedness. College of Liberal Arts Shuiyuan Campus Christian Helmut Wenzel 15 Thursday A,B,C Phl7762 3 Half Graduate Institute of Philosophy http://www.philo.ntu.edu.tw/en/ann/

English Oral Training(Ⅱ)(1)

This course is designed to offer an environment favorable for developing studentss’ communicative competence in the target language, viz., English. Towards this end, it provides various communicative activities in which students would need to speak strategically to achieve different purposes in realistic situations; additionally, it offers optimal opportunities for students to plan and deliver individual presentations as well as to organize and participate in formal debates. Three objectives are established for this yearlong course. Upon completion, students can expect to have developed the skills necessary:

(1) to interact with ease with interlocutors, listeners, and audiences, change elements of their presentation (such as the level of formality or abstraction) if those elements seem to be pitched wrongly, and deal with questions and other forms of feedback from their listeners,

(2) to give accounts of complex issues of current societal and academic importance, and

(3) to verbalize well-informed opinions on such issues, sustained by arguments and evidence that are the results of thoughtful engagement and relevant research.

College of Liberal Arts Main Campus *Prerequisite: English Oral Training (Ⅰ)(2)
*Majors-only (including minor and double major students). Heng-Tsung Danny Huang,Judy Wai-Kei Kwong,Chi-Chih Tseng,Davies Witton,Chi-Chih Tseng,Ann-Marie Hadzima,Heng-Tsung Danny Huang,Shao-Ting Alan Hung 18 Tuesday 6,7 FL2011 2 Full Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures http://www.forex.ntu.edu.tw/main.php?lang=en

English in Philosophical Works

Bertand Russell (1872-1970) was one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century and an excellent writer. He wrote on philosophy of mathematics as well as on political and social issues. His book The Problems of Philosophy is a short and introductory book to problems of philosophy of knowledge, mainly from British empiricist points of view. It appeared in 1912 and became a bestseller. It is still in print today. On about 160 pages, Russell discusses the nature of appearance and reality, matter, idealism, induction, a priori knowledge, universals, intuition, truth and falsehood, opinion, and the limits and value of philosophy in general. As the book consists of 15 short chapters of about ten pages each, we will more or less follow this division, covering about ten pages per week. This course does not only provide a chance to learn something in philosophy but also to learn and enjoy good English. Bertrand Russell was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1950. The course objective is to learn how to read a classical philosophical text in English, how to summarize the main points, and how to discuss them in writing and in speech. College of Liberal Arts Shuiyuan Campus Christian Helmut Wenzel 40 Monday 3,4,5 Phl2059 3 Half Department of Philosophy http://www.philo.ntu.edu.tw/en/ann/

Research Methodology and Academic Writing (Ⅰ)

This course is designed to improve the English ability of the students through reading and writing.
1. To enhance students’ English reading skills
2. To improve students’ Writing skills
3. To engage students in intellectual debate and critical thinking
College of Liberal Arts Main Campus *Majors-only (including minor and double major students).
*Restrict to graduate students. Guy Beauregard,Duncan Chesney 8 Monday 2,3,4 FL7201 3 Half Graduate Institute of Foreign Languages and Literatures http://www.forex.ntu.edu.tw/main.php?lang=en

English for Oral Presentations and Academic Writing

Over the last few years, USP graduate students have increased their participation at overseas conferences or events in Dentistry. These events require students to write abstracts and give presentations in English. Besides, students need to be equipped with the language skills necessary for writing papers. Foreign students enrolled in Dentistry courses need English-medium lectures. ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC WRITING The course will focus on: • Raising awareness of the main issues in English writing. • Discussing issues related to translation. • Building up vocabulary and phrases used in an academic environment. • Revising some of the most difficult points of grammar and learning more features of English grammar appropriate to an academic environment. • Providing hands-on practice for students in writing. • Improving student’s editing skills. • Getting familiar with online dictionaries and corpora. 2) ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PRESENTATIONS The course will focus on: • Building students’ oral communication skills. • Developing oral grammatical accuracy and range of structures. • Learning useful phrases in presentations. • Improving pronunciation. • Contrasting English and Portuguese phonological traits. • Giving presentations. • Analyzing participant’s presentations collaboratively. School of Dentistry (FO) São Paulo main campus 1. Lexical study 2. Study and revision of grammatical structures 3. Text writing 4. Pronunciation study 5. Oral presentation Marina Helena Cury Gallottini, Marcelo Jose Strazzeri Bonecker, Patricia Moreira de Freitas Costa e Silva 15 ODO5785 4 Presence, critical participation, oral presentation and written works. http://www.fo.usp.br/?lang=en

English Composition (Ⅰ)(1)

The focus of this English Composition course is to reinforce and enhance the English proficiency of first-year students in the writing skill area. Students will be writing a lot under guidance throughout the course to develop good writing habits and learn how bad writing habits could interfere with their thought process and therefore their writing process. In the first semester, students will first be learning how to write grammatically correct and meaningful sentences for different readers. Different sentence structures will be introduced allowing students to write with variety. Rules of punctuation will be emphasized for students to realize that punctuation marks are not merely meaningless symbols but actually carry meanings. When students feel comfortable writing sentences at the college level, they will then be guided to composing well-structured paragraphs. Students will be exploring the different parts of a paragraph and finding out the role each part plays in a paragraph. Once they have identified the relationship among the parts, then they are ready to put these parts together to form a coherent and cohesive paragraph. Besides sentences and paragraphs, other modes of writing, such as email communication and business letter, will be introduced based on students’ wants/needs. Students are encouraged to read in English as much as they can outside of class time as reading is one of the most effective ways to improving writing skills. Registering correct sentence structures and building vocabulary useful for writing can be achieved through reading. For this reason, throughout the course, students will have chances to read their classmates’ work and provide feedback as each other’s mentors. A variety of activities such as group interactions, pair work, and class discussions are used to introduce new material and reinforce material taught. Students will be learning how to write in English under a fun and interactive atmosphere. By the end of the first semester, students will/should have already developed good writing habits and can write following the “preferable writing approach.” College of Liberal Arts Students are required to keep a writing journal. They will be writing in their journal everyday starting the first day of class. Students will mostly be writing on something that interests them or occasionally on an assigned topic outside of class. In-class writing can be free-writing, timed writing, writing with a brainstorming session, etc. This course is conducted entirely in English. Students should attend all classes and come to class on time and prepared. Attendance is taken seriously. Students who “need” to be late or absent should notify the instructor at least 2 days in advance. No make-up quizzes or exams are allowed. Late homework will NOT be accepted. Students missing 4 or more classes automatically fail the course. Students who do not complete either Proverb Sharing or Book Review or both are not allowed to pass the course. Cell phones and other electronic devices are not allowed to be used in class unless given permission by the instructor to do so. JUDY WAI-KEI KWONG Tuesday 89X FL1019 2

English Romanticism

Course Description: This course surveys British Romantic literature. Audio-visual materials will be employed, if necessary, to illustrate certain issues and to give a better introduction to the cultural milieu of the period. Lecture and discussion will be conducted in English. Course Objective: It is designed to facilitate students to form a well-rounded knowledge of the literature of this period by close reading of the texts, and to cultivate sensibility for the continuity of literary history. College of Liberal Arts Course Requirement: 1. Regular attendance and vigorous participation in discussion. (Absence without leave over 3 times disqualify you for Mid-term exam. 2. Reflection (1-2 pages) on authors and topics covered before Mid-term exam. 3. Group presentation (15 min.) on authors and topics covered after Mid-term exam. 4. Paper (10 pages in MLA style) on authors and topics covered after Mid-term exam. YA-FENG WU Wednesday 234 FL3002 3

Geoffrey Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer will introduce students to Chaucers literary works and current trends of Chaucerian studies. This course will not only focus on Chaucers major poems including _The Book of the Duchess_, _The House of Fame_, _The Parliament of Fowls_, _Troilus and Criseyde_, _The Legend of Good Women_, and _The Canterbury Tales_, but also explore how Chaucer interacted with a wide range of literary sources and traditions, from the Bible through the authors of classical antiquity and down to medieval writers from England and the Continent, especially France and Italy. We will examine Chaucers works within their social and cultural context by reading both medieval sources and recent literary criticism. Through discussing Chaucers language, concerns, writing strategies, and his critical heritage, we will approach Chaucers work historically, textually, and critically. Students are encouraged to shed new light on the studies of Chaucer from various theoretical perspectives such as animal theory, ecocriticism, gender, sexuality, race, affect, history of emotions, visual culture, spatiality, psychoanalysis, the life of things, etc. Together, we aim to contribute to the creative edge of research in this field. Though readings in this course are mainly in Middle English, no previous experience of Chaucer’s language is required. Students may learn how to read Chaucer from the following websites: Harvard’s Chaucer page “Teach Yourself to Read Chaucer’s English” (http://sites.fas.harvard.edu/~chaucer/teachslf/less-0.htm) or Harvard’s METRO site “Chaucer Platforms” (http://metro.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do). Course Objectives: This graduate seminar aims to provide students with basic, necessary knowledge and skills to read, analyze, and interpret Chaucer’s major works. By the end of the semester, students should be able to 1. Read, discuss and write about Chaucer’s major works critically; 2. Analyze the literary and historical contexts within which Chaucer is writing; 3. Understand key issues and debates in Chaucerian studies; 4. Understand and read aloud Middle English properly. College of Liberal Arts Requirements: 1. Regular attendance and active participation are strongly required. 2. Class presentations on the texts and critical essays. 3. Six position papers. 4. A 12-page “Conference Paper” in draft and final form LIU, YA-SHIH Friday 345 FL7316 3

Contemporary English Novels

This course aims at instructing a contrapuntal reading of contemporary cultural theories and contemporary English novels and films based on or inspired by novels. All lectures, readings and discussions focus on how a contested identity is formulated and manipulated in intervening our imagination and fear of the post 9/11 era. Practices in class include lectures from the lecturer, group presentation organized by students and discussion orientated by the lecturer. Course evaluation relies on students’ in class participation, assignments, and contribution to class discussion. We’ll explore contemporary British novels (since the 1980s-5) that represent different strands of fiction and legacies of history, culture, and politics. The readings and films selected engage with social and class structures, racial, ethnic, sexual, and gender relations, and questions of national identity, and they present some variety in narrative tones, style, and structure. This course put particular emphasis on class discussion that require every student take part in in-class discussion and an oral presentation. Written works include in-class discussion starter questions/comments, succinct journal entry on the assigned novel, a critical response, an exploratory essay, and a term essay (that may incorporate, revise, draw upon prior written work) on a topic and text(s) of your choice. This course attempts to 1. introduce contemporary writers, novels and issues; 2. demonstrate how ideas of national identity, transnationality, globalization and multiculturalism can be applied to the textual analysis of literature and culture and a form of identity politics; 3. ponder over possible ways to broaden the traditional literary studies with the up-to-dated issues of the world we are living now. College of Liberal Arts The course takes the form of 3-hour seminar, conducted in English. Students are required to attend regularly and participate vigorously in the seminars. Students are to present on a topic of their choice and lead the discussion. A mini-conference will be held in the 17th week; a 10-15 page term paper is due before the submission date to be announced in class. This course put particular emphasis on class discussion that requires every student take part in in-class discussion and oral presentation (once a semester). Written works include in-class discussion starter questions/comments (each week), succinct journal entry on the assigned novel or a critical response (those who are responsible for oral presentations), an exploratory essay (thesis 1 page, major works cited 1 page at the mini conference), and a term essay (that may incorporate, revise, draw upon prior written work) on a topic and text(s) of your choice. 1. Class participation: read the assigned articles before class and write a short passage of comments to present at each meeting to facilitate in-depth discussion. Active participation is expected. 2. Oral Presentation: a short presentation, an oral presentation in the mini conference 3. Mini conference: you are expected to briefly illustrate what you plan to do in the final paper with a 2-page- exploratory essay at the 17th week. 4. A full research paper: (at least 10 pages for MA students, 15 for PhD students, works cited not included). 5. Regular attendance: 2 absences—without asking for leave by email—will result in your failure in the course. CHUNG-JEN CHEN Tuesday 234 FL7311 3

Academic Writing in English

This course will consist of two hours of lecture and one hour of writing exercises. Students will be assigned writing assignments, and at the end of the term. They should have been able to finish a draft of their research on a general topic, making use of the moves and techniques that they have learned from the course. In addition, they shall be required to give a 10-minute oral presentation of their paper. This course will train students to learn how to write an academic journal research paper. The course will consist of an introduction to academic English and to the framework of each part of an academic paper. Students will also be trained how to make an oral presentation of their research. College of Bio-Resources & Agriculture 1.Students are required to attend all classes. No more than three excused absences are permitted.

2.Active participation in class discussions is required.

3.Writing assignments are carefully scheduled as stages toward the fulfillment of the course’s objectives. Late assignments will not be accepted.
Friday 234 Biot7020 3