In September 2007 professor Ruth Garrett Millikan will be the Belle van Zuylen-professor in philosophy at our department. She works primarily in the philosophy of mind and language, in which she has developed an extremely interesting position that is inspired by biology, as is evident from the title of her first book Language, Thought, and other Biological Categories (MIT Press, 1984). In order to enable our students to prepare for her visit this years Master-course in the philosophy of mind, will be dedicated to her work; in particular her latest book Varieties of Meaning (MIT Press, 2004, available in paperback). Students who follow this course successfully are allowed to attend the seminar professor Millikan will be giving in the autumn.

Content of the course:

close reading of Millikan’s book Varieties of Meaning. Students are asked to introduce a chapter.

Course work:

Close reading of the text, twice a week.

At least one introduction of a chapter, possibly more, if the number of students requires this.

Frequent attendance.

Final essay consisting of around 4000 words.