Linguistics and Cognitive Science: Concepts

Ling 322Winter 2015

Instructor: Alan Bale (alan dot bale at concordia.ca)
Time: TBD
Location: TBD
Office: H663-22
Office Hours: Tuesdays 11:0012:00 or by appointment

Course description

This course presents a general introduction to concepts that attempts to explain (1) how we come
to have judgments about certain propositions, (2) how we categorize things as belonging or not
belonging to a certain category and (3) how we know that when things belong to certain categories
they also belong to other categories. The goal of this course will be to answer the question Can
there be a science of concepts? In our discussions we will cover both philosophical issues and
empirical evidence. We will also discuss several theories of concepts, starting with the classical
theories before moving on and discussing prototype theories, theory-theories, neoclassical theories
and theories based on conceptual atomism.

Course requirements

Internet access is required for the courseif you do not have access at home, you can use the library
or lab computers. Use the MyConcordia Portal to access the course Moodle website. All required
and optional readings will be put online on the website.

Grading
1. Three assignments (30% [10% each]): In each assignment, students will be asked to answer
one or more questions with short answers (maximum of two pages per assignment, single
spaced, 12pt font, 1 inch margins).
Assignment #1
Assignment #2
Assignment #3
Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the day that they are due. All assignments
handed in after the beginning of class will be considered one day late. Unless negotiated
several days prior to the deadline, late assignments will be deducted by 1 pts per day late.
Assignments will be marked out of 10 pts.
2. Presentations (20%): Each student will be required to make two Prezi presentations, reviewing a paper on concept acquisition and/or development.

3. Group Debates (20%): Each student will be required to participate in a 45 minute long
debate centred around one of the topics covered in class. The size of the groups in the debates
will be determined by class enrolment.
Debate Time #1
Debate Time #2
Debate Time #3
4. Midterm Test (20%, Multiple Choice and Short Answer)
5. Final Test: Reed College Style (10%): Near the end of the semester, students will be
given an essay question and they will have 4 hours to submit an essay online answering the
question. The essay should be type-written and submitted as a PDF. Students can write the
essay wherever they feel most comfortable.
The following grading scale will be applied to final grades: A+ 95100, A 9094, A8589, B+ 8084, B 7579, B- 7074, C+ 6569, C 6064, C- 5559, D 5054, F 049
Dont plagiarize by copying parts of your short paper from webpages (or any other
source). See http://registrar.concordia.ca/calendar/16/16.html#16.3.14 if you
are not sure what constitutes cheating.

Tentative Outlineprecise dates to be determined.

Introduction and Empirical Landscape (1 week): What kind of data has traditionally
been linked to concepts. What is the object of study with respect to concepts? What kind of
theories have been proposed about concepts and what kind of problems have these theories
encountered? (Readings: Laurence & Margolis, Concepts and Cognitive Science; Fodor,
Concepts: where cognitive science went wrong, chapters 1 & 2; Earl, Concepts in the
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
The Classical Theory and its Problems (4 weeks): Internalism, mental representations
and complete definitions of necessary and sufficient conditions for application. (Reading:
Fodor, Concepts: where cognitive science went wrong, chapters 3 & 4; Katz, On the
general character of semantic theory; Putnam, Is semantics possible?)
Animal Cognition (1 week): Some observations about animal behaviour and animal intelligence. Questions arise whether animals in fact have concepts that are similar to human
concepts. It seems clear that animals have complex thoughts and normally concepts in humans are described as the stuff of thought, but is their stuff of thought fundamentally
different from ours? Do they have compositionality? Do they have propositional analysis?
Do they have mental representations?
Frege and Concepts (1 week): A discussion about the most influential account of Concepts within the twentieth century: Namely Freges theory of Sinn and Bedeutung (Sense
and Meaning/Reference). (Readings: Katz, Analiticity, Necessity, and the Epistemology of
Semantics)
2

 Prototype Theory and its Motivations (2 weeks): An introduction to the most popular
conceptual theory in modern psychology. We will first discuss what prototypes and stereotypes are before investigating some of the criticisms against the theory. (Readings: Fodor,
Concepts: where cognitive science went wrong, chapter 5; Rosch Principles of Categorization)
The Theory-Theory and its Motivations (1 week): A review of one of the most influential theories of concepts within the child development literature, at least within the last 40
years. (Readings: Stich and Nichols, Theory Theory to the Max).
Conceptual Atomism (2 weeks): An introduction to Fodors theory of concepts and
conceptual acquisition. (Readings: Fodor, Concepts: where cognitive science went wrong,
chapters 6 & 7; Other readings TBD)
Rethinking the Classical Theory (1 week): A reconsideration of the problems for the
classical theory and the nature of those problems. Can the classical theory be revised in some
other way than the neoclassical proposals? Distinguishing truth conditions from evaluation
procedures. (Readings: TBD)
Concluding Thoughts (2 weeks): Can there ever be a scientific theory of concepts?

Readings
Required and Optional readings will be made available through the Moodle website.