Singular reference, dynamic thouthgts and semantic flexibility

• Grant number: 18/04058-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: August 01, 2018
• End date: September 30, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Philosophy - Logic
• Principal Investigator: João Vergílio Gallerani Cuter
• Grantee: Carlos Mario Márquez Sosa
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Evans attributed to Frege the intuition that it is not possible to grasp a thought expressed in the sentence "this is now Phi" without a propensity to grasp the same thought in the series of sentences "this was Phi a few moments ago", "this will be Y in a few moments ", ..., etc. Here lies the core of a situated and dynamic conception of the understanding of singular statements: capturing modes of presentation of spatio-temporal objects requires the exercise of the dynamic ability to follow the track of the object. Evans developed the point by showing how the understanding of sentences that contain singular terms has as a precondition the possibility of locating the object referred to through the synthesis between travel-based representations and map-based representations of the public space. My research focuses on the possibility of extending Evans' dynamic and situated conception of cognition, taking as a starting point its application to the case of the individuation of indexical's and demonstrative's senses, and developing a general explanation for the case of the individuation proper names', defined descriptions' and predicates' senses. The objective is to show, at the same time, that it is possible to provide an account for the phenomenon of contextual sensibility based on the principles of a neo-Fregean theory of meaning.The specific objectives are, first, to argue in favor of a dynamic conception of singular reference. Second, to develop an explanation about how it is possible to articulate local travel-based representations with global map-based representations, to provide an account on the conditions of possibility to use referential expressions. Third, to extend the explanation on how to identify indexical and demonstrative senses to the individuation of senses of proper names and predicates, showing that it is possible to explain the phenomena of semantic flexibility, semantic sub-determination and contextual dependence by the same principles. Fourth, to develop these intuitions through the construction of a semantic model on how these principles are formally applied.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

LUDOVIC SOUTIF; CARLOS MARIO MÁRQUEZ SOSA. TRAVIS-LIKE CASES AND ADEQUATE IDEAS: A CRITICAL NOTICE OF BOZICKOVIC’S THE INDEXICAL POINT OF VIEW. Manuscrito, v. 45, n. 3, p. 23-52, 2022-09-02. (18/04058-7)

MARQUEZ SOSA, CARLOS MARIO. MEDIATIONAL FIELDS AND DYNAMIC SITUATED SENSES. STUDIA UNIVERSITATIS BABES-BOLYAI PHILOSOPHIA, v. 65, n. 3, p. 51-72, DEC 2020. (18/04058-7)