230174 Knowledge and Understanding in Interaction (S) (WiSe 2026/2027)

Knowledge and understanding as two central problems of the philosophy of language date back at least to antiquity. In this course, we will explore both notions and related concepts (such as grounding, common ground, and embodiment) from the perspective of interaction and intersubjectivity. Our aim is to identify possible links between these two notions and to bridge the gap between subjective cognition and interactive action by examining the conditions and interactive procedures that lead to successful or problematic mutual understanding (including non-understandings and misunderstandings). In addition to reading relevant literature, we will analyze written and face-to-face interactions as well as interactions in and with the media (e.g., social media and large language models).

We will read and discuss key texts and apply methods and concepts to different types of authentic interaction data. You will fulfill the study requirements (Studienleistung, 4 or 3 CP) by completing short reading assignments and giving a brief presentation on a course-related topic or analysis. It is also possible to write your term paper for the module MaKOM in this course.

The course is taught in English. If all participants have sufficient knowledge of German, we may switch to German.