Semantics, Pragmatics and Meaning Revisited: The Case of Conditionals

by Magdalena Sztencel

Overview

This book systematically investigates what follows about meaning in language if current views on the limited, or even redundant, role of linguistic semantics are taken to their radical conclusion. Focusing on conditionals, the book defends a wholly pragmatic, wholly inferential account of meaning – one which foregrounds a reasoning subject’s individual state of mind. The topics discussed in the book include conceptual content, internalism and externalism, the semantics-pragmatics distinction, meaning holism and explicit versus implicit communication. These topics and the author’s analysis of conditionals will allow the reader to engage with some traditional and current research in linguistics, philosophy and psychology.  

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783319887166
Publisher:	Springer International Publishing
Publication date:	06/04/2019
Series:	Perspectives in Pragmatics, Philosophy & Psychology , #17
Edition description:	Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 2018
Pages:	195
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Dr Magdalena Sztencel is a Senior Lecturer in Linguistics at York St John University, UK.

Table of Contents

Introduction.- PART I: Semantics, Pragmatics and Meaning.- Chapter 1. Conceptual Correlates of Words.- Chapter 2. The Locus of Semantics and the Decoding-inferring Distinction.- Chapter 3. Revisiting Holism.- PART II: Conditionals.- Chapter 4. The Meaning of if.- Chapter 5. Holistic and Individualistic Constraints on Interpretation.- Conclusion.