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Maribel Romero, Dr. phil., Professorin

First phase (July 2012 - June 2015)

P2 Semantics and Pragmatics of Counterfactuals

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Description

Antecedent falsity in counterfactual conditionals is widely taken to be an implicature, but theory of the pragmatic bases of counterfactuality is in disarray. Different frameworks are applied to different problem cases; no framework is applied to them all. Our project takes a unified approach. It explores the pragmatic mechanisms that generate the implicature of antecedent falsity, the semantic input to those mechanisms in standard cases that yield normal, cancellable implicatures, and the variations in input in two interesting cases – severe tense mismatch and light negation – that yield non-cancellable implicatures. We will study all of these problems in parallel, so that developments in one area can shed light on other aspects of the puzzle. Ultimately we will explain how the implicature can be derived from semantic and pragmatic features of conditionals, and which aspects of those features vary to make that implicature uncancellable. Finally, we will study the interaction of these issues with quantification in "donkey"-counterfactuals. The central question here is how "donkey"-quantification interacts with quantification over counterfactual worlds. Only one of the main approaches to "donkey"-quantification has been extended to donkey counterfactuals, and existing accounts merge together “donkey” counterfactuals and identifying counterfactuals. The plausibility of this merger will be examined and extensions of all major approaches from indicative to counterfactual "donkeys" will be made and compared, integrating the derivation of the counterfactuality implicature with "donkey" quantification.

Publications

Leahy, B. 2016. On Presuppositional Implicature. In: Topoi 35: 83-91.

Leahy, B. 2016. Simplicity and Elegance in Millikan's Account of Productivity: Reply to Martinez. In: Philosophical Psychology 29(4): 503-516.

Leahy, B. 2015. Counterfactual antecedent falsity and embedded antipresuppositions. In: Proceedings of Moscow Syntax and Semantics 2, ed. V. Kimmelman, N. Korotkova, and I. Yanovich, Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Working Papers in Linguistics 75: 69-84.

Leahy, B. 2014. Teleosemantics: Intentionality, Productivity, and the Theory of Meaning. In: Language and Linguistics Compass 8: 197-210

Leahy, B. 2013. Can Teleosemantics Deflect the EAAN? In: Philosophia 41: 221-238.

Leahy, B. 2011. Presuppositions and antipresuppositions in conditionals. In: Proceedings of SALT 21, ed. N. Ashton, A. Chereches, and D. Lutz, 257-274.

Leahy, B., and M. Huber. To appear. Two arguments for the etiological theory over the modal theory of function. In: Synthese.

Leahy, B., E. Rafetseder, and J. Perner. 2014. Basic conditional reasoning: how children mimic counterfactual reasoning. In: Studia Logica 102: 793-810.

Perner, J., and B. Leahy. 2016. Mental Files in Development. Dual Naming, False Belief, Identity and Intensionality. In: Review of Philosophy and Psychology 7(2): 491-508.

Romero, M. 2015. High negation in subjunctive conditionals and polar questions. In: Proceedings of Sinn und Bedeutung 19, 519-536.

Romero, M. 2014. 'Fake Tense' in counterfactuals: A temporal remoteness approach. In: The Art and Craft of Semantics: A Festschrift for Irene Heim, ed. L. Crnic and U. Sauerland, volume 2, pp. 47-63. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Working Papers in Linguistics 71.

Walker, A. To appear. Similarity and the two readings of counterfactual donkey sentences. In: Proceedings of NELS 47.

Walker, A., and M. Romero. 2016. High and low readings in indicative donkeys. In: Proceedings of Sinn und Bedeutung 20, 761-778.

Walker, A., and M. Romero. 2015. Counterfactual donkeys. A strict conditional analysis. In: Proceedings of SALT 25, 288-307.

Walker, A. 2014. A D-type theory solution to the proportion problem. In: Proceedings of the ESSLLI 2014 Student Session, ed. R. de Haan, 165-176.

Presentations

Leahy, B. 2015. Counterfactual Antecedent Falsity and the Epistemic Sensitivity of Counterfactuals. Talk at Linguistics Colloquium, Hungarian Academy of Sciences--Linguistics Institute, November 2015.

Leahy, B. 2015. Discussion of Ganea, Perner, and Kovacs. Commentary at Symposium on Mental Files in Developmental Psychology, EAP Cognitive Science Conference, University of Turin, September 2015.

Leahy, B. 2015. Counterfactual Antecedent Falsity and the Epistemic Sensitivity of Counterfactuals. Talk at First Belgrade Conference on Conditionals, University of Belgrade, May 2015.

Leahy, B. 2015. On Presuppositional Implicature. Talk at Siena Workshop on Presupposition and Implicature, University of Siena, March 2015.

Leahy, B. 2015. What is Logic for a Teleosemanticist?. Talk at Semantic Pluralism Workshop, University of Konstanz, January 2015.

Leahy, B. 2014. Productivity and Recursion in Teleosemantics. Talk at Finding Common Ground, University of Connecticut, June 2014.

Leahy, B. 2017. Productivity in Teleosemantics. Talk at Minds without Magic, University of Bielefeld, September 2013.

Leahy, B. 2013. Counterfactual Antipresuppositions and Local Maximize Presupposition. Talk at 8th Barcelona Workshop on Conditionals, University of Barcelona, June 2013.

Leahy, B. 2012. Logical Consequence in Teleosemantics. Poster at GAP 8, University of Konstanz, September 2012.

Leahy, B. 2012. Counterfactual Truth and Temporal Reference. Talk at Linguistics Colloquium, University of Gottingen, July 2012.

Leahy, B. 2012. Logical Consequence in Teleosemantics. Talk at Second Conference on the Foundations of Logical Consequence, University of St. Andrew's, June 2012.

Leahy, B. 2012. Logical Consequence in Teleosemantics. Talk at Philosophy Colloquium, University of Belgrade, May 2012.

Leahy, B. 2011. Where Meaning Comes From: The Biology of Semantics and Conditional Sentences. Talk at Zukunftskolleg Jour Fixe, University of Konstanz, December 2011.

Leahy, B. and N. Gotzner 2011. Antipresuppositions and the Projection of Conditional Presuppositions. Poster at Theoretical Pragmatics, ZAS Berlin, October 2011.

Leahy, B. 2011. Teleosemantics and Mental Conditionals. Talk at First Philosophy of Language and Mind Conference, Stockholm University, September 2011.

Leahy, B. 2011. The Function of Mental Conditionals. Talk at The Joint Session of the Aristotelian Society and the Mind Association, University of Sussex, July 2011.

Leahy, B. 2011. Presuppositions and Antipresuppositions in Conditionals. Talk at Semantics and Linguistic Theory 21, Rutgers University, May 2011.

Leahy, B. 2011. Embedded Antipresuppositions in Counterfactuals. Talk at Moscow Syntax and Semantics 2, Institute of Russian Language, April 2011.

Leahy, B. 2011. Testing Theories of Tense in Conditional Antecedents. Talk at The 12th Szklarska Poreba Workshop, Szklarska Poreba, March 2011.

Leahy, B. 2010. A Biosemantic Theory of Conditionals. Talk at European Society for Philosophy and Psychology, University of Essen, August 2010.

Leahy, B. and M. Romero 2010. Presuppositions in Subjunctive Conditionals. Talk at Konstanz Workshop in Generative Grammar, University of Konstanz, April 2010.

Leahy, B. and M. Romero 2010. Implicatures in Subjunctive Conditionals. Talk at The 11th Szklarska Poreba Workshop, Szklarska Poreba, March 2010.

Leahy, B. 2010. Indicative, Subjunctive, Accident, Oversight. Talk at Philosophy Colloquium, University of Belgrade, February 2010.

Leahy, B. 2009. Tenses in Conditional Semantics and Counterfactual Implicatures. Talk at Linguistics Colloquium, University of Konstanz, December 2009.

Walker, A. 2017. Donkeys from another world. Talk at the Studienstiftung StipendiatInnentreffen, University of Konstanz, May 15.

Walker, A. 2017. Counterfactual donkey sentences. A res-based account. Talk at the Linguistics Department Colloquium, University of Konstanz, February 2.

Walker, A. 2017. Donkeys on the horizon. Talk at the What if? Retreat, Hegne, January 13.

Walker, A. 2016. Local similarity and the puzzle of counterfactual donkey sentences. Talk at the workshop Conditionals at the crossroads, University of Konstanz, November 10-11.

Walker, A. 2016. Looking into similarity through indefinites. Talk at CUSP 9, UC Santa Cruz, October 21-22.

Walker, A. 2016. Similarity and the two readings of counterfactual donkey sentences. Poster at NELS 47, UMass Amherst, October 12-14.

Walker, A. 2016. Dynamic predicate logic: a hands-on introduction. Talk at the What if? Jour Fixe, University of Konstanz, June 28.

Walker, A. 2016. Situations and similarity: beyond counterfactual donkeys. Talk at the 2nd Belgrade Conference on Conditionals, University of Belgrade, May 28-31.

Walker, A. 2016. Counterfactual donkey sentences. Talk at the What if? General Meeting, University of Konstanz, February 29.

Walker, A. 2016. Counterfactual donkey sentences. Talk at the Syntax Colloquium, University of Konstanz, February 26.

Walker, A. 2015. High and low readings in counterfactuals. Talk at S-Circle, UC Santa Cruz, December 4.

Walker, A. 2015. Two ways to catch a (counterfactual) donkey. Talk at S-Circle, UC Berkeley, October 30.

Walker, A. and M. Romero. 2015. Counterfactual donkeys and the modal horizon. Talk at Sinn und Bedeutung 20, University of Tübingen, September 9-12.

Walker, A. and M. Romero. 2015. Counterfactual donkeys: a strict conditional analysis. Poster at SALT 25, Stanford, May 15-17.

Walker, A. 2014. A D-type theory solution to the proportion problem. Talk at the ESSLLI 2014 Student Session, University of Tübingen, August 11-22.

Zuletzt geändert am 29.06.2017.