ENS19-Foundational Topics in Semantics

Foundational Topics in Semantics Spring 2019

Philippe Schlenker

(LINGUAE, Institut Jean-Nicod, CNRS; New York University)

Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris - March-April 2019

Instructor: Philippe Schlenker (LINGUAE, Institut Jean-Nicod, CNRS; New York University)

Email: philippe.schlenker@gmail.com

Practical

Units: 4 ects

Schedule: Thursdays, 2-4pm, March 7-April 25, 2019.

Pre-requisites

At least one course in formal semantics (e.g. Semantics I)., or the instructor's permission

Topic

Research on meaning from the last 15 years has redefined several foundational issues in semantics, bringing new light to old questions and raising new ones as well. Old questions include the basic ontology of natural language semantics, the nature of context dependency, the division of labor between semantics and pragmatics, the relation between natural language semantics and semantic paradoxes, etc. New questions pertain to the role of sign language in universal semantics, the proper treatment of iconic effects and gestures, and the extension of semantics beyond its usual confines (animal semantics, music semantics, …). We will usually discuss one topic per week; most topics will be drawn from the list below, depending in part on participants' interests.

Topics for Spring 2019

• Indexicality and De Se Readings: Are there monsters in natural language?

• Time and World Dependency: Do we refer to times and possible worlds?

• Presuppositions: Is meaning dynamic?

Note: There will be virtually no overlap with Salvador Mascarenhas's 'Semantics II' class. Overlaps with LC2 'Super Semantics' will be non-existent or minimal.

Topics for other years:

Are there monsters in natural language?

Do we refer to times and possible worlds?

How are presuppositions triggered?

Is presupposition dynamic? [several sessions]

How are presuppositions triggered?

Is anaphora dynamic? [several sessions]

Do expressives require a bidimensional semantics?

Do supplements require a bidimensional semantics?

Is there a natural language perspective on semantic paradoxes?

Important

Please sign up for the class if you plan to attend some or all of the seminar (irrespective of whether you plan to enroll or not; this is just so that the instructor has your email address, can assess how many people will attend, and which topics will be of particular interest to the audience).

Honor Code

To foster learning and discussion, students are discouraged from using phones, tablets or laptops during class, unless this is solely for note-taking (with other applications closed).

[Summary of some data on this topic]

[Effects of laptop multitasking on users and nearby students]

Requirements

Besides active class participation, at least:

(i) 40% of the grade: 2 squibs (due starting early in the semester)

Note: a squib may be replaced with a class presentation (to be discussed with the instructor).

(ii) 60% of the grade: 1 mini-term paper (to be emailed 10 days after the seminar end; ideally the mini-term paper will have been prepared by the two squibs in (i))

The squib and mini-term paper should be connected to the broad questions that will be addressed in the seminar.

Please contact the instructor soon after the beginning of the term to discuss (i) and (ii).

Readings

All readings that are not linked below are available in this Dropbox folder.

Classroom

Room L357/359, in the Physics Department, entrance through 24 rue Lhomond.

Schedule [to be adapted as we go]

8 weeks, March 7-March 25, 2018

March 7 Indexicals I

Background reading: Schlenker, Indexicality and De Se Reports

Additional reading: Deal 2017, article or slides

Recommended (after Deal 2017): Deal, Indexiphors

Foundational articles: Kaplan, Thoughts on Demonstratives; Lewis, Attitudes De Dicto and De Se.

March 14 Indexicals II

March 21 Indexicals I

March 28 Times and Worlds I

Background reading: Schlenker, Times and Worlds Lecture Notes

or von Fintel-Heim Intensional Semantics

Recommended (brief and historically important): Partee 1973

Totally optional: Schlenker, Ontological Symmetry in Language

April 4 Times and Worlds II

April 11 Presuppositions I

Background readings: Schlenker, Presupposition Projection: Two Theories of Local Contexts

Beaver and Geurts 2011, Presupposition

Additional reading: Fox 2008 [pdf]

April 18 Presuppositions II

April 25 Presuppositions III

Instructions for the mini-squib(s)

Choose between A, B, and C. In either case, please consult with the instructor ASAP. Registered students should write 1 squib and give a class presentation or write an additional squib.

Note: Your squib can be very short. Ideally, it should present one very clear argument or empirical problem.

A. Write a brief review of an article that concerns one of the topics that will be discussed in the seminar.

Consult with the instructor on the choice of the paper. Your squib should be empirically and formally precise. Be sure to specify in your review:

(i) the empirical problem that is addressed, and the generalizations that are discussed [state them precisely];

(ii) what the main formal proposal is;

(iii) how the formal analysis is applied to several selected examples;

(iv) what some strengths and weaknesses of the proposal are.

B. Write a squib related to one of the topics that will be discussed in the seminar. Your squib should be empirically and formally precise. The squib should be very focused, and it should:

(i) define a clear problem, which could be:

(a) an empirical problem [interesting patterns of projection for connectives we haven’t discussed; empirical problems for the analyses we have discussed, etc.];

(b) a formal problem that arises in some of the theories we have discussed;

(ii) give a precise analysis of the relevant data and formalisms;

(iii) discuss one or several possible solutions.

C. Give a class presentation, to be discussed with the instructor.