Grads enroll in PHIL 281A. By uttering the words 'the cat is on the mat', you can get me to believe that the cat is on the mat. By writing a letter of reference that says my handwriting is outstanding, you can tell someone that I'm no good at philosophy. And with a sentence, the Queen can make you a Knight. In this course, we will explore the conditions that make these remarkable capacities possible, survey a number of theories that aim to explain them, and explore their significance for questions that are important across philosophy. Prerequisite: PHIL 80.
4 units · Letter or Credit/No Credit
Grads enroll in PHIL 281A. By uttering the words 'the cat is on the mat', you can get me to believe that the cat is on the mat. By writing a letter of reference that says my handwriting is outstanding, you can tell someone that I'm no good at philosophy. And with a sentence, the Queen can make you a Knight. In this course, we will explore the conditions that make these remarkable capacities possible, survey a number of theories that aim to explain them, and explore their significance for questions that are important across philosophy. Prerequisite: PHIL 80.
Offered in Autumn 2026 at Stanford University.