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Recent Work on Structured Meaning and Propositional Unity
Author(s) -
Jespersen Bjørn
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
philosophy compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.973
H-Index - 25
ISSN - 1747-9991
DOI - 10.1111/j.1747-9991.2012.00509.x
Subject(s) - mereology , computer science , equivalence (formal languages) , semantics (computer science) , meaning (existential) , extensional definition , semantic equivalence , semantic property , propositional formula , natural language processing , linguistics , artificial intelligence , propositional variable , epistemology , programming language , philosophy , semantic computing , semantic web , description logic , paleontology , biology , tectonics , intermediate logic
Logical semantics includes once again structured meanings in its repertoire. The leading idea is that semantic and syntactic structure are more or less isomorphic. A key motive for reintroducing sensitivity to semantic structure is to obtain fine‐grained meanings, which are individuated more finely than in possible‐world semantics, namely up to necessary equivalence. Just getting the truth‐conditions right is deemed insufficient for a full semantic analysis of sentences. This paper surveys some of the most recent contributions to the program of structured meaning, while providing historical background. I suggest that to make substantial advances the program needs to solve the problem of propositional unity and develop an intensional mereology of abstract objects.