2020 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
One-World Semantics for Modals and Attitudes
| Project/Area Number |
20K00613
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| Research Institution | Keio University |
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Principal Investigator |
タンクレディ クリストファー 慶應義塾大学, 言語文化研究所(三田), 教授 (80251750)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2020-04-01 – 2025-03-31
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| Keywords | I-semantics / belief / modality / model theory |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
The analysis of belief attribution from which this project grew requires a semantics that relativizes interpretation to individuals. I formulated a basic semantics having this property, an I-semantic version of Montague's PTQ.
The semantics translates English into logic and interprets the logic. It incorporates a judge parameter in the translation, with the judge serving as an extra argument for the interpretation of constants and variables in the logic. By assigning to expressions sets of interpretations compatible with a judge's beliefs, the semantics makes it possible to represent possibility, necessity and belief without recourse to possible worlds.
In parallel to developing the formal framework, an analysis of modals is being developed within that framework that analyzes modal expressions as being one of two types: inference based (epistemic) of cause based (root). The former are analyzed using only the tools needed for interpreting belief attribution. The latter require an extension of those tools that incorporates beliefs about causes and their effects. The outlines of how to analyze causation are in place, though the details are still evolving as our understanding of the empirical domain continues to develop.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, it has not been possible to get together with my US collaborator as originally planned. However, we have managed to make steady progress and to keep up do date on each other's progress through email exchanges and Skype meetings.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
The plans for future work remain unchanged, though the timing of international travel will depend on restrictions on travel being lifted. We will continue with our empirical work on the interpretation of modals, attitudes, and related intensional expressions, as well as with our theoretical work on the formal foundational semantics needed for analyzing these expressions. When regulations permit, we will get together for a week to consolidate our results and plan out our next steps.
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| Causes of Carryover |
The grant is intended to cover international travel costs for getting together with my collaborator. Over the last year, however, international travel has not been possible because of the Covid-19 pandemic. All other research costs are covered by separate funding.
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