Whither Experimental Semantics?
The main goal of the paper is to propose a methodology for the theory of reference in which experiments feature prominently. These experiments should primarily test linguistic usage rather than the folk’s referential intuitions. The proposed methodology urges the use of: (A) philosophers’ referentia...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of the Basque Country
2012-01-01
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| Series: | Theoria |
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| Online Access: | http://www.ehu.es/ojs/index.php/THEORIA/article/view/3866 |
| _version_ | 1811223798437904384 |
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| author | Michael Devitt |
| author_facet | Michael Devitt |
| author_sort | Michael Devitt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The main goal of the paper is to propose a methodology for the theory of reference in which experiments feature prominently. These experiments should primarily test linguistic usage rather than the folk’s referential intuitions. The proposed methodology urges the use of: (A) philosophers’ referential intuitions, both informally and, occasionally, scientifically gathered; (B) the corpus, both informally and scientifically gathered; (C) elicited production; and, occasionally,<strong> </strong>(D) folk’s referential intuitions. The most novel part of this is (C) and that is where most of the experimental work should be. The secondary goal of the paper is to defend my earlier paper “Experimental Semantics” from the criticisms of Machery, Mallon, Nichols, and Stich in “If Folk Intuitions Vary, Then What?” They charge that I have seriously misunderstood their goal in “Semantics, Cross-Cultural Style” and that many of my arguments are “largely irrelevant”. I argue that these charges are baseless. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T08:38:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c8dd03c261784817ba591e171a26a1af |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0495-4548 2171-679X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T08:38:57Z |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | University of the Basque Country |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Theoria |
| spelling | doaj.art-c8dd03c261784817ba591e171a26a1af2022-12-22T03:39:57ZengUniversity of the Basque CountryTheoria0495-45482171-679X2012-01-0127153610.1387/theoria.38663783Whither Experimental Semantics?Michael Devitt0Graduate Center of City University of New YorkThe main goal of the paper is to propose a methodology for the theory of reference in which experiments feature prominently. These experiments should primarily test linguistic usage rather than the folk’s referential intuitions. The proposed methodology urges the use of: (A) philosophers’ referential intuitions, both informally and, occasionally, scientifically gathered; (B) the corpus, both informally and scientifically gathered; (C) elicited production; and, occasionally,<strong> </strong>(D) folk’s referential intuitions. The most novel part of this is (C) and that is where most of the experimental work should be. The secondary goal of the paper is to defend my earlier paper “Experimental Semantics” from the criticisms of Machery, Mallon, Nichols, and Stich in “If Folk Intuitions Vary, Then What?” They charge that I have seriously misunderstood their goal in “Semantics, Cross-Cultural Style” and that many of my arguments are “largely irrelevant”. I argue that these charges are baseless.http://www.ehu.es/ojs/index.php/THEORIA/article/view/3866methodology, experiments, reference, linguistic intuitions, linguistic usage, corpus, Kripke, Machery, Mallon, Nichols, Stich |
| spellingShingle | Michael Devitt Whither Experimental Semantics? Theoria methodology, experiments, reference, linguistic intuitions, linguistic usage, corpus, Kripke, Machery, Mallon, Nichols, Stich |
| title | Whither Experimental Semantics? |
| title_full | Whither Experimental Semantics? |
| title_fullStr | Whither Experimental Semantics? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Whither Experimental Semantics? |
| title_short | Whither Experimental Semantics? |
| title_sort | whither experimental semantics |
| topic | methodology, experiments, reference, linguistic intuitions, linguistic usage, corpus, Kripke, Machery, Mallon, Nichols, Stich |
| url | http://www.ehu.es/ojs/index.php/THEORIA/article/view/3866 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT michaeldevitt whitherexperimentalsemantics |