PHILOSOPHY OF COMMUNICATION

The course is included among the educational activities of the Bachelor Degree Programme in Philosophy. It aims to provide the basic tools for a philosophical approach to the study of human communication.
What is communication and what is it for? What makes it possible? What cognitive resources are exploited in our communicative exchanges? What theoretical models are more useful to account for the complex features of this phenomenon? What can philosophy teach about communication, and what can the study of communication teach about other philosophical issues? The course of Philosophy of Communication addresses these classical topics of Western philosophy by considering their developments in contemporary thought, especially in the field of pragmatics. In this way, students acquire both a historical and theoretical framework, learn and master conceptual and methodological tools, and develop the ability to critically analyze the devices of personal and social communication.

1. Knowledge and comprehension:
- Mastering the technical vocabulary adopted in pragmatics and related disciplines.
- Knowing the fundamental features that characterize the phenomenon of human communication and the aspects of it that are more difficult to explain.
- Knowing the linguistic, cognitive, and social phenomena that are relevant to the understanding of communicative phenomena.
- Knowing the different theoretical models that are available in the contemporary debate on communication.
- Understanding the phenomenon of implicit communication in its various forms and understanding its theoretical and ethical implications.

2. Ability to apply knowledge and comprehension:
- Ability to correctly use the acquired vocabulary to describe and analyze the relevant phenomena and to discuss the various models presented.
- Ability to recognize and explain the main pragmatic phenomena.
- In particular, ability to recognize and explain the presence of implicit contents.

3. Judgment ability:
- Ability to evaluate the pros and cons of the different communicative strategies that are available to speakers, by considering both their effectiveness and their ethical and relational implications.
- Ability to discuss by means of arguments the various theories presented during classes.

The are no specific prerequisites. However, the course requires a solid general background, mastery of language, and an aptitude for reasoning and rational argumentation.

1. Communication and code:
- What is communication?
- The code model

2. Communication and inferences:
- Grice's theory of conversation
- Expectations and implicatures
- From the code model to the inferential model

3. Communication and cognition:
- Relevance theory
- Implicatures and relevance
- Codes and inferences: an assessment

4. Communication and presupposition:
- Origin of the concept of presupposition
- Presupposition as a form of implicit communication
- The pragmatic approach

5. Presupposition and accommodation:
- The language game
- Background assumptions and conversational score

- P. Grice, "Logic and Conversation", 1975.
- R.C. Stalnaker, "Presuppositions", 1973.
- D. Lewis, “Scorekeeping in a Language Game”, 1979.
- D. Sperber and D. Wilson, Relevance: Communication and Cognition. 2nd ed. Blackwell, Oxford 1995, only the following pages: pp. 1-15 and 38-54.
- W. Lycan, "Philosophy of Language: A Contemporary Introduction", Routledge, London, only chapter 13: "Implicative Relations".

Suggested (NOT COMPULSORY) reading:
- C. Bianchi, "Pragmatica del linguaggio", Laterza 2003 (for other handbooks in English, ask the lecturer).

Written exam, consisting in answering a list of open questions. The questions are about the contents of the texts in the syllabus (see section “Referral Texts”). The deadline for submitting the paper is 60 minutes. The paper sheets are provided by the teacher. During the exam, it is forbidden to consult information sources of any nature, including electronic devices.
The mandatory readings are the same for all students: no alternative programme is available.
The evaluation of papers mainly considers the following parameters: relevance of the answer to the question; quantity and quality of the information given by the answer; formal features of the answer (clarity, order, etc.).

written

Grading scale:
A. Scores in the range of 18-22 will be assigned for:
- Sufficient knowledge and understanding of the textbooks and related topics
- Limited ability of analysis and criticism
- Sufficient exposition skills.

B. Scores in the range of 23-26 will be assigned for:
- Fair knowledge of the textbooks and related topics
- Fair ability of analysis and criticism
- Fair exposition skills.

C. Scores in the range of 27-30 will be assigned for:
- Good or very good knowledge of the textbooks and related topics
- Good or very good ability of analysis and criticism
- Good or very good exposition skills.

D. The “laude” will be awarded to students with excellent knowledge and understanding of the textbooks and related topics.

Traditional lectures.
Use of power point.
Analysis of texts and argumentative structures.
Students' interventions and questions are strongly encouraged.

Accessibility, Disability and Inclusion

Ca' Foscari abides by Italian Law (Law 17/1999; Law 170/2010) regarding support services and accommodation available to students with disabilities. This includes students with mobility, visual, hearing and other disabilities (Law 17/1999), and specific learning impairments (Law 170/2010). If you have a disability or impairment that requires accommodations (i.e., alternate testing, readers, note takers or interpreters) please contact the Disability and Accessibility Offices in Student Services: disabilita@unive.it.