What might but must not be
Journal article
Finlay, Stephen and Lennertz, Benjamin. (2020). What might but must not be. Analysis. 80(4), pp. 647-656. https://doi.org/10.1093/analys/anaa022
Authors | Finlay, Stephen and Lennertz, Benjamin |
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Abstract | We examine an objection to analysing the epistemic ‘might’ and ‘may’ as existential quantifiers over possibilities. Some claims that a proposition “might” be the case appear felicitous although, according to the quantifier analysis, they are necessarily false, since there are no possibilities in which the proposition is true. We explain such cases pragmatically, relying on the fact that ‘might’-sentences are standardly used to convey that the speaker takes a proposition as a serious option in reasoning. Our account explains why it makes sense to utter these sentences despite their being literally false and why their falsity is easily missed. |
Year | 2020 |
Journal | Analysis |
Journal citation | 80 (4), pp. 647-656 |
Publisher | Oxford University Press |
ISSN | 0003-2638 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1093/analys/anaa022 |
Scopus EID | 2-s2.0-85126598535 |
Research or scholarly | Research |
Page range | 647-656 |
Publisher's version | License All rights reserved File Access Level Controlled |
Output status | Published |
Publication dates | |
Online | 24 Jan 2021 |
Publication process dates | |
Deposited | 08 Jul 2022 |
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