This module adopts the possible worlds approach to attitudes, which despite its well-known problems on the philosophical side, has proved empirically fruitful. After a brief  recap on intensionality, we will discuss the ‘representational’ attitude of belief, which represents the world as being in a certain way; we will then focus on ‘non-representational’ attitudes for which the classic Hintikka-style semantics does not work: want, wish, hope, prefer, intend and regret. We will consider their relation to belief, and we will try to address the issue of which type of semantic objects they embed.  The focus will be on English as the object language, but we will also do some cross-linguistic comparisons in the class discussions, based on the languages represented by the native speakers in the class.

Prerequisites:
having attended the module “Compositional Semantics” and/or passed the exam. The meta-language here is the functional one. 
Threshold concepts (from Compositional Semantics):  possible worlds, propositions, truth-conditions, interpretation function, propositional connectives, function, partial function, characteristic function, conjunction, disjunction, lambda-abstraction, function application, semantic types.

Didactic objectives
1 – To introduce the students to the scientific literature on the topic.
2 – To  enhance active group discussion, as a prerequisite for future participation in teams.
3 – To improve oral or written presentation of scientific results.

Methodologies
For first didactic objective (introduce the students to the scientific literature on the topic): lectures.
For the second didactic objective (enhance active group discussion): One-hour weekly discussion on a paper read as assignment.
For the third objective (improve oral / written presentation of scientific results): final seminar or essay on a relevant paper. 

Reference texts:
i) Kaufmann, S. , C. Condoravdi and V. Hazarinov. Formal approaches to modality. In W. Frawley (ed.). The Expression of Modality, 72-106. Mouton-de Gruyter, 2006.   
 2) Heim, I. 1992. Presupposition projection and the semantics of attitude verbs. Journal of Semantics 9, 183-221.   
3) Yalcin, S. 2018. Belief as question-sensitive. Philosophy and phenomenological research 97(1), 23-47 
 4) Anand, P. and V. Hacquard. 2013. Epistemic and attitudes. Semantics and Pragmatics 6.   

These are compulsory readings for non-attending students. 
For attending students, the papers for the weekly assignments will be indicated on Moodle.

Assessment:
For  attending students, the attainment of the didactic objectives will be assessed as follows:
50%  participation in the weekly discussion sessions on assigned papers,
50%  final seminar (15 minutes) or essay (5 pages) on an assigned paper. 
For non-attending students: 50% on a face-to-face exam on the syllabus readings
50% on the essay.

NB: The paper for the final seminar (or written essay), a different one for each student, must be agreed upon with me.
The written essay must be sent to me at least ten days before the chosen exam date.