how do we model presuppositions?
- Common Ground
- Context Set
- Stalnaker, Heim…
common ground (CG)
• the set of propositions which the participants in a conversation agree to be uncontroversial for the purposes of this conversation
context set (C)
• the set of possible worlds in which every proposition in the Common Ground is true
example…
• CG = {the proposition that it is sunny, the proposition that we have a semantics class, the proposition that the spring is coming}
…continued
• C =
{the set of worlds in which it is sunny and we have a semantics class and the spring is coming}
• conjunction -> intersectionexample Fred bit Mary and Bruno bit Mary too • step 1: • step 2: • step 3:
- some C
- C ⋂ “Fred bit Mary”
- C ⋂ “Fred bit Mary” ⋂ “Bruno bit Mary too”
Context change potential.
For any Context Set C and simple sentence, write equation:
S, C + S = C ⋂ [S]
presupposition projection
• if the context satisfies the presupposition, proposition is added
• “satisfies” = ____, _____ or at least does not ____
contains, entails or at least does not contradict
when we cancel a presupposition, we remove it from __
C
if we accommodate a presupposition we add it to ___
C
focus
- new information
- correcting/verifying information
- may be marked by intonation
Bruno ate an appleF too. • This sentence presupposes that: • A: someone else ate an apple • B: Bruno did something else with an apple • C: Bruno ate something else • D: there is no presupposition
C
focus regulates presupposition
BrunoF ate an apple too. ->
Bruno ateF an apple too. ->
Bruno ate an appleF too. ->
- someone else ate an apple
- Bruno did something else to an apple
- Bruno ate something else
- without ___ there is no presuppositional requirement
* without a presuppositional requirement we don’t know how to restrict the ___
focus, alternatives
Does focus change truth conditions of an utterance?
Yes
What are speech acts:
- propositions that, when uttered, allow us to perform a particular kind of action or the proposition itself performs the action
- performative act
Speech acts, name and explain all three:
- Locutionary act: the actual utterance by the speaker (~semantic meaning)
- Illocutionary act: the intended meaning of the utterance by the speaker (~speaker’s meaning)
- Perlocutionary act: the action that results from the locution [new dimension]
Give the speech acts.
I now declare you man and wife
Locutionary act = “I now declare you man and wife”
Illocutionary act = the speaker intends to marry someone
Perlocutionary act = the couple is now married
Give the speech acts.
Bruno went to jail for committing murder
- locutionary: Bruno went to jail for committing murder
- illocutionary: to inform you that Bruno went to jail for committing murder
- perlocutionary: you went to the state of the hearer being uninformed of this to a state where the hearer is informed that Bruno went to jail for committing murder
performative verbs:
give examples:
verbs whose function is to signal specific speech acts: •declare •warn • promise • sentence • thank
speech acts
• there are certain extralinguistic____ that must be satisfied for an utterance to function as a____ act
conditions, performative
felicity conditions
• contextual conditions which must be fulfilled before a speech act can be said to have been properly performed
preparatory conditions
•do not define the speech act but are necessary in the sense that if they do not hold the act has not been carried out
sincerity conditions
•the person performing the act must have appropriate beliefs or feelings
essential conditions
- define the act being carried out
- for a promise the speaker must intend their utterance to put them under an obligation to carry out the act which corresponds to its propositional content
