Cognitive Science 0345 - Performative Utterances

One can do certain things just by using a special kind of a verb - a verb that names the very sort of act one is performing. For example, one can thank someone by saying "Thank you", fire someone by saying "You are fired", and apologize by saying "I apologize". One can also become married by simply saying: "I do". Does the force of these utterances require a special explanation, or can it be explained by a general theory of speech acts? The course will investigate classic and recent papers in linguistics and philosophy that try to address this question. An important consequence of the investigation is learning how to read and mark-up a technical research article published in a journal. Prerequisite: Two 200-level courses in cognitive science.

Independent Work Quantitative Skills Writing and Research In this course, students are expected to spend at least four to six hours a week of preparation and work outside of class time. This time includes reading, writing and research.