Journal article
Constraining meanings with contextuality
- Abstract:
- In this paper, we defend two claims. First, we argue that a notion of contextuality that has been formalized in physics and psychology is applicable to linguistic contexts. Second, we propose that this formal apparatus is philosophically significant for the epistemology of language because it imposes homogeneous rational constraints on speakers. We propose a Contextuality Principle that explains and articulates these two claims. This principle states that speakers update contextual information by significantly reducing the space of probabilities and variables in a non-commutative way. Some contexts affect other contexts not merely in terms of the information they contain, but also on the basis of their sequential order. In particular, we argue that the Contextuality by Default (CBD) theory provides a formalism that helps explain the role of contextuality in rational linguistic exchanges.
- Publication status:
- Published
- Peer review status:
- Peer reviewed
Actions
Access Document
- Files:
-
-
(Preview, Accepted manuscript, pdf, 321.5KB, Terms of use)
-
- Publisher copy:
- 10.1007/s10699-022-09859-9
Authors
- Publisher:
- Springer
- Journal:
- Foundations of Science More from this journal
- Volume:
- 56
- Issue:
- 4
- Pages:
- 274-280
- Publication date:
- 2022-08-11
- Acceptance date:
- 2022-07-05
- DOI:
- EISSN:
-
1572-8471
- ISSN:
-
1233-1821
- Language:
-
English
- Keywords:
- Pubs id:
-
1343630
- Local pid:
-
pubs:1343630
- Deposit date:
-
2023-05-22
- ARK identifier:
Terms of use
- Copyright holder:
- de Barros et al.
- Copyright date:
- 2022
- Rights statement:
- © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2022.
- Notes:
- This is the accepted manuscript version of the article. The final version is available online from Springer at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10699-022-09859-9
If you are the owner of this record, you can report an update to it here: Report update to this record