Truth in sentential structure : a critical analysis of standard semantic accounts of context sensitivity
The principal aim of this thesis is to assess the view that the formal properties of sentences of natural languages encode truth-conditions. The question I pursue is whether truth-conditional semantic theories are capable of accounting for the various ways in which contextual factors contribute to the determination of the truth-conditional content of sentences. The thesis will assess and evaluate three different approaches standard contemporary truth-conditional semanticists have set forth in response to what I shall refer to as the challenge from pervasive context sensitivity, which is essentially the claim that context plays a more extensive role in the determination of content than that of fixing the semantic values of standard indexical expressions. I shall aim to show that each of the approaches mentioned fails to provide an adequate account of how the phenomenon of context sensitivity can be explained on the basis of our linguistic competence alone, and shall then explore some of the consequences of this.
Davies, Alun
Truth in sentential structure : a critical analysis of standard semantic accounts of context sensitivity. The principal aim of this thesis is to assess the view that the formal properties of sentences of natural languages encode truth-conditions. The question I pursue is whether truth-conditional semantic theories are capable of accounting for the various ways in which contextual factors contribute to the determination of the truth-conditional content of sentences. The thesis will assess and evaluate three different approaches standard contemporary truth-conditional semanticists have set forth in response to what I shall refer to as the challenge from pervasive context sensitivity, which is essentially the claim that context plays a more extensive role in the determination of content than that of fixing the semantic values of standard indexical expressions. I shall aim to show that each of the approaches mentioned fails to provide an adequate account of how the phenomenon of context sensitivity can be explained on the basis of our linguistic competence alone, and shall then explore some of the consequences of this.
truth sentential structure critical_analysis standard semantic account context sensitivity principal_aim ass view formal property sentence natural_language encode truth conditions question pursue whether truth_conditional semantic_theory capable account various_way contextual_factor contribute determination truth_conditional content sentence ass evaluate three_different approach standard contemporary truth_conditional set_forth response shall refer challenge pervasive context sensitivity essentially claim context play extensive role determination content fix semantic_value standard indexical expression shall aim_show approach mention fails provide_adequate account phenomenon context sensitivity explain basis linguistic_competence alone shall_explore consequence