PHL 216 - 20th Century: Logic & Language Games, 3 credit hours

“20th Century: Logic and Language Games” will use a game-based approach to consider the ability (or perhaps inability) of logic to capture ordinary language. With the idea that language is like a game, particularly in the influence of the 20th-century idea that “players” follow rules in order to succeed, this course will actually use games to illustrate major concepts in the field as a prelude to class discussion. Special attention will be given in these discussions to the implications of this branch of philosophy today, especially as computing technology runs up against the limits of logic in using large binary data sets to mimic human expression and the demand for genuine artificial intelligence to operate with fuzzy, more flexible logic in reading symbols more ambiguously, like we humans do in our more complex forms of expression (i.e. humor). So, amidst serious discussions of logic and language games, there will also be “pun” times discussing puns, etc. to the extent that our cup might just punneth over, hopefully appealing to gluttons for PUNishment (puns very much intended).