In:
Tópicos, Revista de Filosofía, Universidad Panamericana, , No. 56 ( 2018-12-13), p. 393-414
Abstract:
According to dynamic semantics, what is said by an utterance of a sentence is determined by how the common ground is affected by the acceptance of such utterance. It has been claimed that dynamic semantics offers an account of what is said by an utterance in a context that excels that of traditional static semantics. Assertions of negative existential constructions, of the form ‘X does not exist’, are a case in point. These assertions traditionally pose a problem for philosophers of language. A recent proposal, owed to Clapp (2008), argues that static semantics is unable to solve the problem and offers a dynamic semantics account that promises to succeed. In this paper I want to challenge this account and, more generally, the scope of the dynamic semantics framework. I will offer a counterexample, inspired by “answering machine” uses of indexical and demonstrative expressions, to show how dynamic semantics fails. I conclude by considering the merits of both static and dynamic accounts.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
2007-8498
,
0188-6649
DOI:
10.21555/top.v0i56.1012
Language:
Unknown
Publisher:
Universidad Panamericana
Publication Date:
2018
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2437627-9
SSG:
7,36
Permalink