Epistemic Modals and Common Ground

Inquiry: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Philosophy 56 (2-3):179-209 (2013)
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Abstract

This paper considers some questions related to the determination of epistemic modal domains. Specifically, given situations in which groups of agents have epistemic states that bear on a modal domain, how is the domain best restricted? This is a metasemantic project, in which I combine a standard semantics for epistemic modals, as developed by Kratzer, with a standard story about conversational dynamics, as developed by Stalnaker. I show how a standard framework for epistemic logic can model their interaction. I contend that if groups have epistemic states that bear on the modal domain, as the data suggests, then careful attention must be paid to the method of combination selected for the epistemic states of the individuals within the group. Specifically, there should be some explanation of the flow of information in a group-deliberative setting. Through this study we find a novel explanation of modal disagreement and uptake

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Ezra J. Cook
Northwestern University (PhD)

Citations of this work

Simple Contextualism about Epistemic Modals Is Incorrect.Benjamin Lennertz - 2014 - Thought: A Journal of Philosophy 3 (4):252-262.

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References found in this work

Common ground.Robert Stalnaker - 2002 - Linguistics and Philosophy 25 (5):701-721.
Epistemic Modals.Seth Yalcin - 2007 - Mind 116 (464):983-1026.
What 'must' and 'can' must and can mean.Angelika Kratzer - 1977 - Linguistics and Philosophy 1 (3):337--355.
Norms of assertion.Jennifer Lackey - 2007 - Noûs 41 (4):594–626.

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