Hyperintensional semantics: a Fregean approach

Synthese 197 (8):3535-3558 (2020)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

In this paper, we present a new semantic framework designed to capture a distinctly cognitive or epistemic notion of meaning akin to Fregean senses. Traditional Carnapian intensions are too coarse-grained for this purpose: they fail to draw semantic distinctions between sentences that, from a Fregean perspective, differ in meaning. This has led some philosophers to introduce more fine-grained hyperintensions that allow us to draw semantic distinctions among co-intensional sentences. But the hyperintensional strategy has a flip-side: it risks drawing semantic distinctions between sentences that, from a Fregean perspective, do not differ in meaning. This is what we call the ‘new problem’ of hyperintensionality to distinguish it from the ‘old problem’ that faced the intensional theory. We show that our semantic framework offers a joint solution to both these problems by virtue of satisfying a version of Frege’s so-called ‘equipollence principle’ for sense individuation. Frege’s principle, we argue, not only captures the semantic intuitions that give rise to the old and the new problem of hyperintensionality, but also points the way to an independently motivated solution to both problems.

Similar books and articles

Are Impossible Worlds Trivial?Mark Jago - 2013 - In Vit Puncochar & Petr Svarny (eds.), The Logica Yearbook 2012. College Publications.
Granularity problems.Jens Christian Bjerring & Wolfgang Schwarz - 2017 - Philosophical Quarterly 67 (266):22-37.
Constructing worlds.Mark Jago - 2012 - Synthese 189 (1):59-74.
Hyperintensional propositions.Mark Jago - 2015 - Synthese 192 (3):585-601.
Believing in semantics.John C. Bigelow - 1978 - Linguistics and Philosophy 2 (1):101--144.
Impossible Worlds.Mark Jago - 2013 - Noûs 47 (3):713-728.
On Sense, Reference, and Tone in History.Eugen Zeleňák - 2010 - Journal of the Philosophy of History 4 (3-4):354-374.
Introduction.Marie Duží & Bjørn Jespersen - 2015 - Synthese 192 (3):525-534.

Analytics

Added to PP
2018-07-30

Downloads
1,321 (#7,929)

6 months
147 (#18,439)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author Profiles

Mattias Skipper
Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences

References found in this work

The meaning of 'meaning'.Hilary Putnam - 1975 - Minnesota Studies in the Philosophy of Science 7:131-193.
Meaning and Necessity: A Study in Semantics and Modal Logic.Rudolf Carnap - 1947 - Chicago, IL, USA: University of Chicago Press.
Situations and attitudes.Jon Barwise & John Perry - 1981 - Journal of Philosophy 78 (11):668-691.
Individualism and the mental.Tyler Burge - 1979 - Midwest Studies in Philosophy 4 (1):73-122.
Naming and Necessity.Saul Kripke - 1980 - Philosophy 56 (217):431-433.

View all 56 references / Add more references