Essays on semantic content and context-sensitivity
The thesis comprises three foundational studies on the topics named in its title, together with an introduction. Ch. 1 argues against a popular combination of views in the philosophy of language: Propositionality, which says that the semantic values of natural language sentences (relative to contexts) are the propositions they express (in those contexts) and Compositionality, which says that the semantic value of a complex expression of a natural language (in a context) is determined by the semantic values its immediate constituents have (in that same context) together with their syntactic mode of combination. Ch. 1 argues that the NaĂŻve Picture is inconsistent with the presence of variable-binding in natural languages. Ch. 2 criticizes the strategy of using âoperator argumentsâ to establish relativist conclusions such as: that the truth values of propositions vary with time (Time Relativism) or that they vary with location (Location Relativism). Operator arguments purport to derive the conclusion that propositions vary in truth value along some parameter P from the premise that there are, in some language, sentential operators that operate on or âshiftâ the P parameter. I identify two forms of operator
Yli-Vakkuri, Tuomo Juhani
Philosophy ; Epistemology,causation,humankind ; Metaphysics ; Philosophy of mind ; Compositionality ; Semantics ; Relativism ; Operators ; Quantifiers ; Variable binding ; Two-dimensionalism ; Semantic internalism ; Semantic externalism ; Narrow content ; the a priori
Essays on semantic content and context-sensitivity. The thesis comprises three foundational studies on the topics named in its title, together with an introduction. Ch. 1 argues against a popular combination of views in the philosophy of language: Propositionality, which says that the semantic values of natural language sentences (relative to contexts) are the propositions they express (in those contexts) and Compositionality, which says that the semantic value of a complex expression of a natural language (in a context) is determined by the semantic values its immediate constituents have (in that same context) together with their syntactic mode of combination. Ch. 1 argues that the NaĂŻve Picture is inconsistent with the presence of variable-binding in natural languages. Ch. 2 criticizes the strategy of using âoperator argumentsâ to establish relativist conclusions such as: that the truth values of propositions vary with time (Time Relativism) or that they vary with location (Location Relativism). Operator arguments purport to derive the conclusion that propositions vary in truth value along some parameter P from the premise that there are, in some language, sentential operators that operate on or âshiftâ the P parameter. I identify two forms of operator
essays semantic_content context sensitivity comprises foundational study topic name title together introduction argues popular combination view philosophy_language say semantic_value natural_language sentence relative context proposition express context compositionality say semantic_value complex expression natural_language context determine semantic_value immediate constituent context together syntactic mode combination argues picture inconsistent presence variable binding natural_language strategy_use operator argument establish conclusion truth_value proposition vary time time relativism vary location location relativism operator argument purport derive conclusion proposition vary truth_value along parameter premise language sentential operator operate shift parameter identify form operator