LEARNING OUTCOMES

With the help of video in Aulaweb the course will help students to master implicit aspects of communication (in everyday discourse, in politics and advertisement). Students will study some of the main principles and theories of communication in philosophy of language and pragmatics (including Austin, Grice, Stalnaker) , with applications and class work on periodicals and videos.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The aim is to let students to become aware of the mutiple and hidden mechanisms that let unexpressed meanings and ideas pass through any communication.

Learn how to recognise fake news as fake an develop the ability to avoid to be convinced by misleading communication

PREREQUISITES

There is no particular presequisite, although some basic linguistics and logic might help.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures wil be interactive: part of the lesso will be a presentation of some ideas and exaples on which the class will be requested to judge.

Questions are not only welcome, but requested. Students should bring the results of their knoweldge and information to help the class to improve in understanding different kinds of implicit knowledge.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

FIrst part: (Frege, Russell, Stalnaker)

sharing a common ground: presuppositions, stereotypes, common knowledge

Second part (Grice)

individuating the implicit: conventional and conversational implicatures; application to political communication and danger of social networks

Third part (Austin)

speech acts: lying and misleading. 

Fourth part (Metaphor and other stuff)

Theories of metaphor; 

A part on fallacies and their application will be treated, depending on the reaction of the students, either at the beginning of at the end of the lessons.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Filippo Domaneschi, Manuale di Pragmatica 

OR other texts if required for English speakers