Two interpretations of dynamic semantics Sentences express context - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Two interpretations of dynamic semantics Sentences express context change potential Common ground Agent’s mental state (e.g. Heim, 1982; Groenendijk & Stokhof, (e.g. Geurts, 1999; 1991; van der Sandt, Kamp, 2015) 1992)  ‘Paradox of fictional names’ (Maier, 2017)

Overview • The paradox of fictional names • DRT • Psychologistic DRT  Solves the paradox  The para ‐ and metafictional challenge • The workspace account  Solves the paradox  Avoids the challenge

The paradox of fictional names Fictional statement: • Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon ( The Lord of the Rings) Parafictional statement: • In The Lord of the Rings , Frodo is a hobbit Metafictional statement: • Frodo is a famous fictional character (Recanati, 2018)

The paradox of fictional names Fictional statement: • Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon ( The Lord of the Rings) Parafictional statement: • In The Lord of the Rings , Frodo is a hobbit Metafictional statement: • Frodo is a famous fictional character (Recanati, 2018)

Overview • The paradox of fictional names • DRT • Psychologistic DRT  Solves the paradox  The para ‐ and metafictional challenge • The workspace account  Solves the paradox  Avoids the challenge

DRT • Pedro owns a donkey • Pedro beats it

DRT • Pedro owns a donkey • Pedro beats it

DRT • Pedro owns a donkey • Pedro beats it

Overview • The paradox of fictional names • DRT • Psychologistic DRT  Solves the paradox  The para ‐ and metafictional challenge • The workspace account  Solves the paradox  Avoids the challenge

Psychologistic DRT • Regular assertions are prescription to believe  Trump is the president of the U.S. • Fictional statements are prescriptions to imagine  Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon (Walton, 1990)

A test case • Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon • In The Lord of the Rings , Frodo is a hobbit • Frodo is a famous fictional character

A test case • Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon • In The Lord of the Rings , Frodo is a hobbit • Frodo is a famous fictional character

A test case • Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon • In The Lord of the Rings , Frodo is a hobbit • Frodo is a famous fictional character

Solving the paradox • Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon • In The Lord of the Rings , Frodo is a hobbit • Frodo is a famous fictional character

Overview • The paradox of fictional names • DRT • Psychologistic DRT  Solves the paradox  The para ‐ and metafictional challenge • The workspace account  Solves the paradox  Avoids the challenge

The para ‐ and metafictional challenge • In The Lord of the Rings , Frodo is a hobbit that travels to a dark and far away land • Sherlock Holmes is a fictional character created by Arthur Conan Doyle

Overview • The paradox of fictional names • DRT • Psychologistic DRT  Solves the paradox  The para ‐ and metafictional challenge • The workspace account  Solves the paradox  Avoids the challenge

Back to the basics • Psychologistic DRT: Fiction – Imagination (Walton, 1990) • Workspace account: Fiction – Imagination (Matravers, 2014)

The workspace account P P Assertive closure Q Fictive closure □ F Q

Assertion Trump is the president of the U.S. ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ Assertive closure common ground

Assertive opening Trump is the president of the U.S. ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ Assertive closure workspace common ground

Workspace update Trump is the president of the U.S. ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ Assertive closure president( x ) workspace common ground

Assertive closure Trump is the president of the U.S. ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ Assertive closure president( x ) common ground

Fictional statement 1 Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ common ground

Fictional statement 1 Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ workspace common ground

Workspace update 1 Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon ____________ , x ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ name( x ,Frodo) trying-time( x ) workspace common ground

Fictive closure 1 Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ______________ ______________ LOTR trying-time( x ) common ground

Fictive opening 2 Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ______________ ______________ LOTR common ground

Fictive opening 2 Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ______________ ______________ LOTR workspace common ground

Workspace update 2 Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ trying-time( x ) ______________ ______________ LOTR workspace common ground

Fictive closure 2 Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ______________ ______________ LOTR trying-time( x ) common ground

A closer look at fictive closure Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon Fictive closure workspace common ground

Fictional characters • The abstract object Frodo (Zalta, 1983; 1988)  Encodes being a hobbit  Exemplifies being fictional • The dot ‐ object Frodo (Recanati, 2018)  Flesh and blood facet  Abstract object facet Proceedings paper and poster ‐ ESSLLI 2018 student session

Overview • The paradox of fictional names • DRT • Psychologistic DRT  Solves the paradox  The para ‐ and metafictional challenge • The workspace account  Solves the paradox  Avoids the challenge

• Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon Solving the paradox • In The Lord of the Rings , Frodo is a hobbit • Frodo is a famous fictional character workspace common ground

• Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon Solving the paradox • In The Lord of the Rings , Frodo is a hobbit • Frodo is a famous fictional character workspace common ground

• Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon Solving the paradox • In The Lord of the Rings , Frodo is a hobbit • Frodo is a famous fictional character Fictive closure workspace common ground

• Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon Solving the paradox • In The Lord of the Rings , Frodo is a hobbit • Frodo is a famous fictional character workspace common ground

• Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon Solving the paradox • In The Lord of the Rings , Frodo is a hobbit • Frodo is a famous fictional character workspace common ground

• Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon Solving the paradox • In The Lord of the Rings , Frodo is a hobbit • Frodo is a famous fictional character workspace common ground

• Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon Solving the paradox • In The Lord of the Rings , Frodo is a hobbit • Frodo is a famous fictional character workspace common ground

• Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon Solving the paradox • In The Lord of the Rings , Frodo is a hobbit • Frodo is a famous fictional character Assertive closure workspace common ground

• Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon Solving the paradox • In The Lord of the Rings , Frodo is a hobbit • Frodo is a famous fictional character workspace common ground

• Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon Solving the paradox • In The Lord of the Rings , Frodo is a hobbit • Frodo is a famous fictional character workspace common ground

• Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon Solving the paradox • In The Lord of the Rings , Frodo is a hobbit • Frodo is a famous fictional character workspace common ground

• Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon Solving the paradox • In The Lord of the Rings , Frodo is a hobbit • Frodo is a famous fictional character workspace common ground

• Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon Solving the paradox • In The Lord of the Rings , Frodo is a hobbit • Frodo is a famous fictional character Assertive closure workspace common ground

Solving the paradox • Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon • In The Lord of the Rings , Frodo is a hobbit • Frodo is a famous fictional character