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Propositions (7,5 hp)

This advanced level course will give an overview over both traditional and current theories of propositions. We will also survey arguments, of either semantic or of psychological character, that have been provided in the literature for these theories. We will cover

Theories

Fregean theories
Classical possible-worlds theories, metaphysical and epistemic
Diagonal proposition theories
Relativistic theories (temporal and centered propositions)
Structured propositions
Gappy proposition theories
Speech act theories

Arguments

Arguments from intentionality and object-dependence
Arguments from meaning discrimination and belief contexts
Arguments from communication
Arguments from context dependence and self-ascription
Arguments from the semantics of index-shifting
Arguments from relativism
Arguments from action explanation
Arguments from compositionality, standard and general

The course will give 7.5 hp course credits.

Course plan: We will meet in D734, at 10-12, on the dates below.

19 April	Introduction. Frege, Russell, and the classical possible-worlds proposition. Texts: Frege 1892; Russell 1903, Chap. 4; Hylton 1992, Chap. 5
20 April	The roles of the proposition. Compositionality. Assertoric content and ingredient sense. Texts: Dummett 1973, pp. 42-51; Lewis 1980; Pagin andWesterståhl 2010a.
3 May	Kaplanian semantics and temporal propositions. Texts: Kaplan 1989; Richard 1981; Brogaard 2012, Chaps. 1-3
4 May	Centered-worlds propositions and diagonal propositions. Texts: Stalnaker 1978; Lewis 1979; Chalmers 2006.
10 May	Gappy propositions. Texts: Braun 2005;Mousavian 2011; Schellenberg 2010.
11 May	Structured propositions. Texts: Jespersen 2012; King 2014b; King 2014a.
17 May	Speech act accounts of propositions. Texts: Soames 2014; Hanks 2015, Chaps. 3-4
18 May	Classical propositions and Switcher semantics. Glüer and Pagin 2006; Pagin and Westerståhl 2010b; Forbes 2011; Glüer and Pagin 2012.