Problems of Compositionality

by Zoltán Gendler Szabó

Overview

This book is a critical discussion of the principle of compositionality, the thesis that the meaning of a complex expression is fully determined by the meanings of its constituents and its structure. The aim of this book is to clarify what is meant by this principle, to show that its traditional justification is insufficient, and to discuss some of the problems that have to be addressed before a new attempt can be made to justify it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781138868397
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	08/25/2015
Series:	Studies in Philosophy
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	134
Product dimensions:	5.44(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Zoltán Gendler Szabó is at Cornell University

Table of Contents

Preface vii

1 The Principle 3

1.1 Statement of the Principle 3

1.2 Alternative Formulations 6

1.3 Parallelism 9

1.4 Substitutivity 14

1.5 Functionality 19

1.6 Summary 26

2 Linguistic Semantics 27

2.1 Is Semantics Empirical? 27

2.2 The First Dogma 32

2.3 The Second Dogma 39

2.4 Semantics without Epistemology 46

2.5 Semantics without Ontology 49

2.6 The Third Dogma 52

2.7 Summary 56

3 The Argument 59

3.1 The Argument from Understanding 59

3.2 Meaning and Understanding 64

3.3 The Strong Principle of Understanding 67

3.4 The Modest Principle of Understanding 73

3.5 Understanding and the Missing Shade of Blue 81

3.6 Summary 85

4 Adjectives in Context 87

4.1 The Context Thesis 87

4.2 The Color of a Painted Leaf 92

4.3 Problems with 'Good' 95

4.4 Ways of Being Good 102

4.5 Varieties of Incompleteness 105

4.6 Ways of Being Green? 111

4.7 Summary 113

5 Descriptions in Context 115

5.1 A Parallel 115

5.2 Referring and Quantifying Phrases 117

5.3 Two Objections to the Quantificational View 122

5.4 Replies to Donnelian's Objection 128

5.5 Replies to Heim's Objection 130

5.6 Methodological Considerations 134

5.7 Coreferring Phrases and File-Cards 140

5.8 Summary 146

6 In Place of a Conclusion 149

Bibliography 151

Index 161