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Semantics for Opaque Contexts
Author(s) -
Ludwig Kirk,
Ray Greg
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
noûs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.574
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1468-0068
pISSN - 0029-4624
DOI - 10.1111/0029-4624.32.s12.6
Subject(s) - semantics (computer science) , citation , computer science , linguistics , library science , philosophy , programming language
In this paper, we outline an approach to giving extensional truth-theoretic semantics for what have traditionally been seen as opaque sentential contexts. 2 If the approach outlined here is correct, it resolves a longstanding complex of problems in metaphysics, the philosophy of mind and the philosophy of language. We take as our starting point the requirement that any semantics for a natural language be compositional, that is, that it provide an interpretation of each of the infinity of sentences in it on the basis of a finite primitive vocabulary and a finite number of rules. At least since Frege, 3 it has been recognized that sentences such as (1),