LSA.311 | Pragmatics in Linguistic Theory

Kai von Fintel
MW 10:10-11:50
location: 32-123
course web site: http://semantics-online.org/lsa311

Formal theories of conversational implicature, presupposition (and context change), and indexicality. Special emphasis on the division of labor between semantics and pragmatics. We will devote some time to current ongoing work, to illustrate how the basic concepts of pragmatics are involved in cutting edge work. The course is appropriate for students interested in work in syntax/semantics and for students interested in the philosophy of language. We will presuppose technical material more or less on the level of Heim & Kratzer (1998), as well as familiarity with the possible-worlds semantics of modal and attitude constructions.