Truth, topicality, and transparency: one-component versus two component semantics

Peter Hawke; Levin Hornischer; Franz Berto

doi:10.1007/s10988-023-09408-y

Truth, topicality, and transparency: one-component versus two component semantics

Peter Hawke, Levin Hornischer, Franz Berto^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

When do two sentences say the same thing, that is, express the same content? We defend two-component (2C) semantics: the view that propositional contents comprise (at least) two irreducibly distinct constituents: (1) truth-conditions and (2) subject-matter. We contrast 2C with one-component (1C) semantics, focusing on the view that subject-matter is reducible to truth-conditions. We identify exponents of this view and argue in favor of 2C. An appendix proposes a general formal template for propositional 2C semantics.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	481-503
Number of pages	23
Journal	Linguistics and Philosophy
Volume	47
Issue number	3
Early online date	31 May 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10988-023-09408-y
Publication status	Published - Jun 2024

Keywords

Aboutness
Subject matter
Topicality
Truth conditions
2-component semantics

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10.1007/s10988-023-09408-yLicence: CC BY

Hawke_2024_LingPhil_Truth-topicality-transparency_CC
Copyright © The Author(s) 2024. Open Access: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder.
Final published version, 469 KBLicence: CC BY

The Logic of Conceivability: H2020 ERC The Logic of Conceivability
Berto, F. (PI)
1/09/18 → 31/12/21
Project: Fellowship

Cite this

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title = "Truth, topicality, and transparency: one-component versus two component semantics",

abstract = "When do two sentences say the same thing, that is, express the same content? We defend two-component (2C) semantics: the view that propositional contents comprise (at least) two irreducibly distinct constituents: (1) truth-conditions and (2) subject-matter. We contrast 2C with one-component (1C) semantics, focusing on the view that subject-matter is reducible to truth-conditions. We identify exponents of this view and argue in favor of 2C. An appendix proposes a general formal template for propositional 2C semantics.",

keywords = "Aboutness, Subject matter, Topicality, Truth conditions, 2-component semantics",

author = "Peter Hawke and Levin Hornischer and Franz Berto",

note = "Funding: This research is published within the project {\textquoteleft}The Logic of Conceivability{\textquoteright}, funded by the European Research Council (ERC CoG), Grant No. 681404. Moreover, this publication is part of the project {\textquoteleft}Foundations of Analogical Thinking{\textquoteright} (Project No. 322-20-017) of the research program {\textquoteright}PhDs in the Humanities{\textquoteright}, which is (partly) financed by the Dutch Research Council (NWO). Moreover, this publication is part of the project {\textquoteleft}The Semantics of Knowledge and Ignorance{\textquoteright} (ECS Project No. 23603221), funded by the Early Career Scheme of the University Grants Council (UGC) of Hong Kong.",

year = "2024",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1007/s10988-023-09408-y",

language = "English",

volume = "47",

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T2 - one-component versus two component semantics

AU - Hawke, Peter

AU - Hornischer, Levin

AU - Berto, Franz

N1 - Funding: This research is published within the project ‘The Logic of Conceivability’, funded by the European Research Council (ERC CoG), Grant No. 681404. Moreover, this publication is part of the project ‘Foundations of Analogical Thinking’ (Project No. 322-20-017) of the research program ’PhDs in the Humanities’, which is (partly) financed by the Dutch Research Council (NWO). Moreover, this publication is part of the project ‘The Semantics of Knowledge and Ignorance’ (ECS Project No. 23603221), funded by the Early Career Scheme of the University Grants Council (UGC) of Hong Kong.

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N2 - When do two sentences say the same thing, that is, express the same content? We defend two-component (2C) semantics: the view that propositional contents comprise (at least) two irreducibly distinct constituents: (1) truth-conditions and (2) subject-matter. We contrast 2C with one-component (1C) semantics, focusing on the view that subject-matter is reducible to truth-conditions. We identify exponents of this view and argue in favor of 2C. An appendix proposes a general formal template for propositional 2C semantics.

AB - When do two sentences say the same thing, that is, express the same content? We defend two-component (2C) semantics: the view that propositional contents comprise (at least) two irreducibly distinct constituents: (1) truth-conditions and (2) subject-matter. We contrast 2C with one-component (1C) semantics, focusing on the view that subject-matter is reducible to truth-conditions. We identify exponents of this view and argue in favor of 2C. An appendix proposes a general formal template for propositional 2C semantics.

KW - Aboutness

KW - Subject matter

KW - Topicality

KW - Truth conditions

KW - 2-component semantics

U2 - 10.1007/s10988-023-09408-y

DO - 10.1007/s10988-023-09408-y

M3 - Article

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VL - 47

SP - 481

EP - 503

JO - Linguistics and Philosophy

JF - Linguistics and Philosophy

IS - 3

ER -

Truth, topicality, and transparency: one-component versus two component semantics

Abstract

Keywords

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Projects

The Logic of Conceivability: H2020 ERC The Logic of Conceivability

Cite this