Contextology
Journal article
Goldstein, Simon and Kirk-Giannini, Cameron Domenico. (2022). Contextology. Philosophical Studies. 179(11), pp. 3187-3209. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11098-022-01820-7
Authors | Goldstein, Simon and Kirk-Giannini, Cameron Domenico |
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Abstract | Contextology is the science of the dynamics of the conversational context. Contextology formulates laws governing how the shared information states of interlocutors evolve in response to assertion. More precisely, the contextologist attempts to construct a function which, when provided with just a conversation’s pre-update context and the content of an assertion, delivers that conversation’s post-update context. Most contextologists have assumed that the function governing the evolution of the context is simple: the post-update context is just the pre-update context intersected with the content of the assertion. We argue that this assumption is wrong: not only is it false, it is also incoherent given standard contextological assumptions. Moreover, it is impossible in principle to revise it to correctly describe the dynamics of context. We conclude that there can be no science of Contextology. The laws governing the evolution of the context in response to assertion must make essential reference to the private information states of interlocutors. |
Keywords | assertion; context; pragmatics; common ground |
Year | 2022 |
Journal | Philosophical Studies |
Journal citation | 179 (11), pp. 3187-3209 |
Publisher | Springer |
ISSN | 0031-8116 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1007/s11098-022-01820-7 |
Scopus EID | 2-s2.0-85128846297 |
Page range | 3187-3209 |
Publisher's version | License All rights reserved File Access Level Controlled |
Output status | Published |
Publication dates | |
Online | 27 Apr 2022 |
Publication process dates | |
Accepted | 24 Mar 2022 |
Deposited | 16 May 2023 |
https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/8z068/contextology
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