Situation Semantics Research Articles

Truthmaker Semantics and Natural Language Semantics

ABSTRACTTruthmaker semantics is a non‐classical logical framework that has recently garnered significant interest in philosophy, logic, and natural language semantics. It redefines the propositional connectives and gives rise to more fine‐grained entailment relations than classical logic. In its model theory, truth is not determined with respect to possible worlds, but with respect to truthmakers, such as states or events. Unlike possible worlds, these truthmakers may be partial; they may be either coherent or incoherent; and they are understood to be exactly or wholly relevant to the truth of the sentences they verify. Truthmaker semantics generalises collective, fusion‐based theories of conjunction; alternative‐based theories of disjunction; and nonstandard negation semantics. This article provides a gentle introduction to truthmaker semantics aimed at linguists; describes applications to various natural language phenomena such as imperatives, ignorance implicatures, and negative events; and discusses its similarities and differences to related frameworks such as event semantics, situation semantics, alternative semantics, and inquisitive semantics.

On the semantics of (negated) approximative kaada in Classical Arabic: a case for embedded exhaustification

Abstract The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it proposes a compositional semantic analysis for approximative kaada in Classical Arabic which has the property of being a clause-level rather than predicate-level operator: [KAADA α] is paraphrased as [α is false but there exists β close to α such that β is true]. The analysis is based on the integrated semantics of Penka (Penka, Doris. 2006. Almost there: The meaning of almost. Proceedings of Sinn und Bedeutung 10. 275–286) in which the negativity component of kaada is interpreted as part of its lexical meaning within a situation semantics framework. It also makes a novel use of the concept of semantic closeness among situations in terms of the intuitively appealing dimension of the relative completion of an event. Second, the paper presents and analyzes an instance of a puzzle noted by most descriptive Classical Arabic grammarians (see, for example, al-Ahmad, Ayman. 2021. Dalalit KAADA l-manfiah fi l-Qurʾaan l-kareem. Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Literature 9(2). 838–859) in which negated kaada has an interpretation where the negativity implication disappears altogether. The paper offers a solution to the puzzle based on a previous suggestion made by Kilbourn-Ceron (Kilbourn-Ceron, Oriana. 2016. Embedded exhaustification: Evidence from almost. Journal of Semantics 34(1). 43–60) in which an instance of embedded exhaustification appears to apply in approximatives in certain contexts in such a way that the negativity inference is obscured.

On Actuality Entailments, Causation, and Telicity in Balkar

This paper presents a study of actuality entailments in Balkar (a dialect of Karachay-Balkar, Turkic). The study focuses on the deontic and causal meanings of four morphemes: two suffixes (the causative suffix and the suffix -al (‘can/may’)) and two verbs (bujur (‘order’) and qoj (‘allow’)). In the first half of the paper, I provide empirical support for three generalizations: (a) only causal modals can have actuality entailments (all universal and some existential causal modals); (b) actuality entailments arise whenever a causal modal has a telic interpretation, more precisely, when it is not embedded under an imperfective or a delimitative operator (c) existential but not universal causal modals trigger an anti-actuality entailment under negation. In the second half of the paper, I propose a theory of root modality within the framework of situation semantics. In this framework, root modals describe a situation (the anchor situation) and quantify over situations that stand in a particular semantic relation to it. The proposed Causal Modality Theory (CMT) consists of two assumptions: (a) Causal modals quantify over causal chains initiated by the counterparts of the anchor situation. (b) Some existential causal modals have a conditional presupposition: if any counterpart of the anchor situation caused another situation, then the anchor situation itself caused the same situation. The first assumption explains why all universal causal modals have actuality entailments and why existential causal modals trigger an anti-actuality entailment under negation. The second assumption predicts that some existential causal modals (the ones with the conditional presupposition) also trigger an actuality entailment. CMT treats causal modals as bi-eventive predicates, like (non-culminating) accomplishments. They describe two situations: the anchor situation and a situation caused by it. As a result, causal modals are predicted to behave like (non-culminating) accomplishments, namely, they are predicted to trigger actuality entailments if and only if they are not embedded under an imperfective or a delimitative operator.

Использование аппарата ситуационной семантики для моделирования процесса порождения речи

The paper analyzes and systematizes certain elements of the conceptual and terminological apparatus of situational semantics, which is required for modeling the process of speech generation. Involving the works of Russian and foreign scholars, the authors present a part of the conceptual and terminological apparatus of situational semantics relevant to generative theory: the paper systematically defines and interprets the elements of the conceptual and terminological apparatus, demonstrates its use to describe the situation in the process of utterance generation and speech generation as a whole. The aim of the study is to show the expediency of applying the apparatus of situational semantics for modeling the process of utterance generation. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that on the basis of using the apparatus of situational semantics, a number of sociocultural (discursive) factors lacking in the models of Chomskyan generative grammar were included into the generative model of utterances. As a result, the terminological apparatus needed for achieving the above-mentioned aim was formed from disparate elements and systematized and its application in the course of analyzing utterance generation was demonstrated.

Situation-Based Connexive Logic

The aim of this paper is to present a system of modal connexive logic based on a situation semantics. In general, modal connexive logics are extensions of standard modal logics that incorporate Aristotle’s and Boethius’ theses, that is the thesis that a sentence cannot imply its negation and the thesis that a sentence cannot imply a pair of contradictory sentences. A key problem in devising a connexive logic is to come up with a system that is both sufficiently strong to fulfill some specific connexive theses and sufficiently well-motivated from a semantical point of view. The approach proposed here tries to address this problem by defining an appropriate connexive relation in terms of more basic notions. The result is a well-motivated system of modal connexive logic that nicely fits in both with the traditional ideas concerning the connexive conditional and with the current developments in connexive logic.

Sino-Japanese Contrast and Translation of Emergency Language—Take COVID-19 for Example

Emergency language service is an important component of disaster management, which runs through the whole process of disaster from occurrence to solution. As a disaster-prone area, Japan has rich practical experience in emergency language services. The context formed by major emergencies often endows existing words with certain relevance semantics or situational semantics, as well as the birth to some new words. On the basis of expounding the formal characteristics and operating regulations of emergency language services in Japan, this paper analyzes and compares the changes and differences in relevant words in the context of the epidemic situation based on COVID-19. It is hoped that this study will provide some enlightenment for China to build emergency language service systems, so as to provide reference for the formulation of emergency language services in China.

On the Diagnosis and Development of Creativity Based on the Ontology of the Game

The subject of the study is to understand the phenomenon of creativity, and the purpose is to provide recommendations for its diagnosis and development of creative abilities. Creativity is currently one of the most sought-after skills according to the forecasts of analysts of the World Economic Forum. The methodological basis of the research is the theoretical and practical results known in science in the psychology of creativity and the story-game concept of reality. Particular attention is paid to the identification in the works on the definition and diagnosis of creativity of their ontological connection with the story-game paradigm, which also intersects meaningfully with studies on situational semantics. A comparative and critical analysis of the basic concepts in these approaches is carried out. The main conclusions of the study are as follows. When teaching any subject, it is useful to diagnose the type of thinking of the audience, periodically offer various tasks that require little time, but develop analytical and creative thinking at the same time, requiring the use of broad categories, synthetics of perception of the environment and a high level of cognitive flexibility, the ability to understand and form metaphors, free association of meanings, interpretations of any text, picture, phenomenon; that is, in fact, it is teaching a creative and playful attitude to various problems. The story-game approach, both in training and in any field of activity, makes it possible to optimally maintain a balance between following the patterns – the "rules of the games" of nature and society and original, creative behavior.

وسائل البيان عند الجاحظ: الحال التي تُسمى نِصْبَةً نموذجاً

This research deals with the types of semantic indicators in ALJahiz in general, and then it concentrates on the study of AL Nisba, which is situation semantics. The situation semantics- Nisba as defined by ALJahiz, is the situation articulating without a word; and pointing without a hand. The importance of studying the Nisba lies in the great impact it has on explaining meanings conveyed through it to humans. It also articulates the dead, rigid, silent and inexpressible meanings.To explain its importance, I have carefully tracked and explored it, citing evidence from ALJahiz, and then I added a number of evidences from the Holy Quran as well as prose and poetry evidences, which point to the importance of this means among other types of semantic indicators. Also, this research shows the extreme impact that the Nisba has on human soul by communicating some vital meanings to it.

ON TYPE-THEORETICAL FORMALIZATION OF SITUATION SEMANTICS

Situation semantics is an effective instrument for analysing semantical aspects of natural languages with explicit dependence on contexts, like referential opacity of belief contexts etc. Making use of type-theoretical approaches not only makes its formalism more practical in many ways, but also facilitates its migration to computer systems, specifically, the formalization in functional programming languages. The article deals with a prototype of the type theoretical language of situation semantics, implemented on the basis of the language Racket. It decribes principal approaches, methods of solving some problems of formal semantics as well as issues that need to be addressed.

La situación de los slurs

Recent bibliography on group pejoratives has faced a classification problem. Díaz Legaspe (2018) offered a new taxonomy: out-group and normalizing slurs. The first subgroup includes slurs that do not depend strongly on context or use and co-refer with neutral. This guarantees that there are no differences concerning the truth conditions among statements that contain a slur and those which include its neutral counterpart. Normalizing slurs are distinguished by their referential restriction –the reference of these terms is quantitatively inferior to the one of their neutral counterparts, and this affects the truth conditions of these slurs. The present article provides an explanation to referential restriction from Barwise & Perry’s situational semantics. it is a proper model to account for the contextual sensitivity that normalizing slurs show, given that the reference situation contains the prevailing social norms. The features of the utterance situation will be decisive in order to determine the focal situation, i. e., the reference.

Yet again, quantum indeterminacy is not worldly indecision

It has been argued that non-relativistic quantum mechanics is the best hunting ground for genuine examples of metaphysical indeterminacy. Approaches to metaphysical indeterminacy can be divided into two families: meta-level and object-level accounts. It has been shown (Darby in Australasian Journal of Philosophy 88(2):27–245, 2010. https://doi.org/10.1080/00048400903097786; Skow in Philosophical Quarterly 60(241):851–858, 2010) that the most popular version of the meta-level accounts, namely the metaphysical supervaluationism proposed by Barnes and Williams (Oxford Studies in Metaphysics, Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 103–148, 2011), fails to deal with quantum indeterminacy. Such a fact has been taken by many as a challenge to adapt supervaluationism to quantum cases. In this paper, I will focus on the very last of these attempts, i.e. the situation semantics account proposed by Darby and Pickup (Synthese 1–26, 2019). After having shown where quantum indeterminacy arises and having surveyed the assumptions endorsed by the participants of the debate, I turn to Darby and Pickup’s proposal. I argue that, despite the machinery introduced, their account still fails to account for quantum indeterminacy. After considering some possible counterarguments, I suggest in the conclusion that one can plausibly extend the argument to those meta-level approaches that treat quantum indeterminacy as worldly indecision.

ІСТИНА, РЕАЛІЗМ, РЕЛЯТИВІЗМ: ВЗАЄМОЗВ’ЯЗОК І ВЗАЄМНА ВИЗНАЧАЛЬНІСТЬ

In the contemporary English-language philosophy the problems of truth, realism, and relativism appear actual and interconnected; this evidences reciprocal complementarity and definability between metaphysics, epistemology and methodologies of philosophical investigations. In the article relevant views of prominent today philosophers – Paul Boghossian, Crispin Wright, JC Beall – are comparatively analyzed. In the considered articles the ordinary view on dispute of inclinations is analyzed in competition with other possible interpretations. For example, one person likes stewed rhubarb, another – doesn’t. This is a case of true disagreement: each person maintains the position that another denies. Such disagreement Wright calls the dispute of inclinations; ordinary view on dispute of inclinations involves: really incompatible attitudes (contradiction), the faultlessness of each side, rational maintaining of the view in spite of obvious unresolved disagreement (sustainability). According to Boghossian the attitude of relativism involves tree components: metaphysical – denying of “absolute” facts of a certain type (from some specific investigative domain) in favor of relative; recommendational – permission to accept only appropriate relative propositions; limiting – about meanings which allow unexpected parameters that relativize. Beall advocates “Polarity View” and fruitfully applies it to analyze the ordinary view. Modeling of the former involves: concepts of truthmakers, positive and negative polarity, atomic facts, situational semantics. The formal modeling and philosophical explanation coincide. Each of the authors defends realism and correspondence understanding of truth (in particular truth as relation of proposition’s correspondence to a fact); and also opposes relativism. At the same time, relativism turns out to be an inevitable (at least implicitly inherent to all three authors) tendency, which testifies to at least the contextual (Boghossian) relativity of non-cognitive concepts or competencies (Wright); functional fixation of facts in their application (Beall).

Application of the Emotional Meaning of Lotus in the Design of Ceramic Products

The image of lotus embodies profound spiritual connotation and cultural atmosphere, and presents colorful visual forms in different eras in China. Starting from the emotional point of view, this article is based on the three levels of emotional design, combined with the situational semantics in the product semantics to form emotional semantics, and conducts a series of design studies, and tries to apply them in ceramic products.

Communication and indifference

The propositional view of communication states that every literal assertoric utterance of an indicative sentence expresses a proposition, and the audience understands those utterances only if she entertains the proposition(s) the speaker expressed. According to an important objection due to Ray Buchanan, the propositional view is ill‐equipped to handle meaning underdeterminacy. Using resources from situation semantics and MacFarlane's nonindexical contextualism, this article develops a view of literal communication close to the propositional view which overcomes Buchanan's underdeterminacy considerations while accounting for the kind of indifference that typically characterizes speakers' intentions.

Modelling deep indeterminacy

This paper constructs a model of metaphysical indeterminacy that can accommodate a kind of ‘deep’ worldly indeterminacy that arguably arises in quantum mechanics via the Kochen–Specker theorem, and that is incompatible with prominent theories of metaphysical indeterminacy such as that in Barnes and Williams (Oxf Stud Metaphys 6:103–148, 2011). We construct a variant of Barnes and Williams’s theory that avoids this problem. Our version builds on situation semantics and uses incomplete, local situations rather than possible worlds to build a model. We evaluate the resulting theory and contrast it with similar alternatives, concluding that our model successfully captures deep indeterminacy.

Stop beating the donkey! A fresh interpretation of conditional donkey sentences.

We propose a new approach to conditional donkey sentences that allows us to face successfully the often called proportion problem. The main ingredients of the proposal are van Benthem's generalized quantifier approach to conditionals (van Benthem, 1984), and Barwise's situation semantics (Barwise, 1989). We present some experimental data supporting our proposal.

Identifying the Meta-Forms of Situations

Various tasks of computing meaning involve the identification, representation and processing of interconnected and recurrent patterns known as situations, context, frames or forms. In this paper, the authors propose a novel computational - semiotics approach for addressing various tasks of situation semantics. The approach relies on the dual-space model and the representation of a situation based on domain and function similarity of its constituting parts. The authors illustrate this approach through a worked-out example and test it by automatically by (1) Judging the truth-value of situational propositions and (2) Generating explanations to metaphors.

SIG/CR Workshop: Conceptual Crowbars and Classification at the Crossroads: The Impact and Future of Classification Research

EDITOR'S SUMMARYSpecial Interest Group/Classification Research (SIG/CR) explored the significance of studies on classification and its real world effects through paper presentations by students and faculty at the 2015 ASIS&T Annual Meeting workshop. Presenters looked at the effects of approaches to classifying and structuring knowledge and at the ways classification models frame similarities and differences and influence views of society and the world. Among the papers on specific models and cases were presentations on capturing situation semantics in metadata, classifications of violence and disasters and historians' perspectives on organizing information. Fundamental philosophical positions were shown to inform classifications, and the effects of classificatory systems evolve with time. Other papers addressed the cultural, political and theoretical consequences of compiling a controlled vocabulary, outsourcing metadata and information resources for classification of social and cultural issues. The workshop ended with the announcement of new officers and presentation of student scholarships.

A Possible Dilemma for Situation Semanticists

This paper examines the concept of information in situation semantics. For this purpose the most fundamental principles of situation semantics are classified into three groups: (1) principles of the more fundamental kind, (2) principles related to regularity, and (3) principles governing incremental information. Fodor’s well-known criticisms of situation semanticists’ concepts of information target the first group. Interestingly, situation semanticists have been anxious to articulate either the principles of the second group or the principles of the third group in order to meet these criticisms. Based on these observations, I will launch a dilemma for situation semanticists. Either they fail to handle information about individuals or they fail to present any acceptable account of the laws of nature. Millikan’s version of situation semantics, I shall argue, is not the exception to the rule.

Game Theoretical Semantic for Relevant Logic

In 1979 D.E. Over proposed game theoretical semantics for first-degree entailment formulated by Anderson and Belnap. In order to extend this approach to include other systems of relevant logc (e.g., $\boldsymbol{R}$) we have two promoting facts. Firstly, there is Routley- Meyer’s situational semantic for system$\boldsymbol{R}$ of relevant logic. Secondly, this semantics shows some resemblance with W__ojcicki’s situational semantic of non-fregean logic for which the situational game semantics was developed by author exploiting essentially the notion of non-fregean games. In the paper an attempt is done to give a partial account of these results and some conception of situational games developed which laid down into foundation of the game theoretical semantics of relevant logic $\boldsymbol{R}$.