Meaning and the Dynamics of Interpretation : : Selected Papers of Hans Kamp.

• Superior document: Current Research in the Semantics / Pragmatics Interface
• Author: Heusinger, Klaus von.
• TeilnehmendeR: Meulen, Alice ter.
• Place / Publishing House: Leiden : : BRILL,, 2013.
• Year of Publication: 2013
• Language: English
• Series: Current Research in the Semantics / Pragmatics Interface 29.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (701 p.)
• Notes: Description based upon print version of record.

This selection of research papers written by Hans Kamp presents the core of his scientific research on natural language semantics and its relation to logic, philosophy and linguistics. Arranged in six sections, the topics range from philosophical reflection on the foundational issues in the ancient Sorites Paradox with a formal account of its solution, to a detailed account of presuppositions in dynamic semantics. Ranking among the philosophers with great and lasting influence on formal semantics, Hans Kamp contributed early foundational research to core theoretical topics like temporal reference and vagueness, then pushed the boundaries of the discipline in new and productive directions. Showing the importance of non-truth-functional aspects of meaning, Discourse Representation Theory proved the value of a dynamic approach to interaction of text and context for our understanding of anaphora, word meaning and context-dependence. This collection shows very clearly how Kamp has forged ground-breaking connections among semantics, computation, and mental representation, challenging the once dominant Fregean anti-psychologism, while demonstrating that the best theoretical research can simultaneously yield important computational applications and novel cognitive insights. Barbara Partee, University of Massachussetts Amherst

Table of Contents

Front Matter / Klaus von Heusinger and Alice ter Meulen -- Introduction to Meaning and the Dynamics of Interpretation / Alice ter Meulen and Klaus von Heusinger -- Introduction to Events, Temporal Reference, and Discourse -- Formal Properties of ‘Now’ -- Events, Instants and Temporal Reference -- Deixis in Discourse. Reichenbach on Temporal Reference -- Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics -- Free Choice Permission -- Semantics versus Pragmatics -- Introduction to Vagueness -- Two Theories about Adjectives -- The Paradox of the Heap -- Introduction to Discourse Representation -- A Theory of Truth and Semantic Representation -- Context, Thought and Communication -- Disambiguation in Discourse -- Introduction to Presupposition -- Presupposition Computation and Presupposition Justification: One Aspect of the Interpretation of Multi-Sentence Discourse -- The Importance of Presupposition -- Introduction to Propositional Attitudes -- Prolegomena to a Structural Account of Belief and Other Attitudes -- Temporal Reference Inside and Outside Propositional Attitudes -- Interview with Hans Kamp / Alice ter Meulen and Klaus von Heusinger.