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    A nonstandard semantics of modal adverbs like 'necessaril... — Carmelics
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    A nonstandard semantics of modal adverbs like 'necessarily' and 'contingently' could achieve the same result as denying that propositions bear modal properties, without abandoning that doctrine.

    Philosophy of Language
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    1 reason for
    2 reasons against

    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
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    • 1.Modal adverbs could be analyzed as ascribing properties to propositions while being sensitive to more than just the proposition they operate on.
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    • 2.The behavior of 'so-called' in sentences like 'Superman is so-called for his super powers' provides a precedent for context-sensitive predication of this kind.
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    Reasons Against

    2 perspectives
    Reason against 1 of 2
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    • 1.Modal adverbs like 'necessarily' function as sentential operators in modal logic, not as predicates ascribing properties to propositions.
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    • 2.Kripke's possible-worlds semantics gives a fully adequate, extensionally correct account of modal operators without treating them as proposition-level predicates.
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    • 3.Introducing context-sensitivity into modal operators generates counterintuitive results, such as making 'necessarily true' non-transitive across contexts.
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    Reason against 2 of 2
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    • 1.The 'so-called' analogy fails because 'so-called' is explicitly metalinguistic, whereas modal adverbs embed freely under quantifiers and attitude verbs without metalinguistic readings.
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    • 2.Quine's arguments in 'Reference and Modality' show that context-sensitive predication of modal properties invites referential opacity, undermining the compositionality the nonstandard semantics was meant to preserve.
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    Topics

    Philosophy of LanguageModality & Possibility

    Key Terms

    Modal adverbs(as used in logic and metaphysics)
    Words like 'necessarily' and 'contingently' that describe whether something *must* be true or *could* be otherwise.
    Necessarily
    "Necessarily" means something must be true in all possible situations—it's not just true right now, but couldn't be false under any circumstances. For example, "2+2=4 necessarily" means there's no possible way 2+2 could equal anything other than 4. This contrasts with "contingently" true facts, like "it's raining today," which happen to be true but could have been false.
    Nonstandard semantics(as used in philosophy of language)
    A non-traditional or unconventional way of explaining what something means.
    contingently(in modal logic)
    In a way that could be true or false; depending on specific circumstances rather than being required by logic or nature.
    modal properties(Discussion of what entities bear modal properties in the context of the modal argument)
    Properties such as being necessarily true, contingently true, necessarily false, or contingently false, and being true or false at a possible world.
    propositions(Answer to the question of what metaphysical category propositions belong to)
    Entities belonging to a sui generis metaphysical category of their own kind, not reducible to other categories
    semantics(Distinguished from metasemantics and pragmatics in Kaplan 1989)
    The domain that concerns the facts about what meanings words or phrases have.

    Related

    Introducing context-sensitivity into modal operators generates counterintuitive ...Kripke's possible-worlds semantics gives a fully adequate, extensionally correct...Modal adverbs could be analyzed as ascribing properties to propositions while be...Modal adverbs like 'necessarily' function as sentential operators in modal logic...
    +3 moreShow less
    Quine's arguments in 'Reference and Modality' show that context-sensitive predic...The 'so-called' analogy fails because 'so-called' is explicitly metalinguistic, ...

    Source

    AI-extracted1/3 agreementValid
    SEP: propositions-singular
    View source passageHide passage
    There are two main responses to the modal argument in the literature. The first involves a denial of the principle that, if p = p*, then p and p* have the same truth value in all counterfactual circumstances. Michael Dummett (1991) and Jason Stanley (1997a/b; 2002) have developed this response by denying that propositions are the bearers of modal properties. Dummett distinguishes senses from what he calls ingredient senses. Senses give the contents of expressions, are the bearers of truth and fa
    Extraction notes

    Validity: Extracted via Max plan + API grounding/validity checks

    Details

    The behavior of 'so-called' in sentences like 'Superman is so-called for his sup...

    Similar

    Scholastics treat only 'possible,' 'impossible,' 'true,' 'false,' 'nec...83%Proslogion chapter 3 implies a modal distinction between existing nece...82%Latin expresses modality through many additional terms such as 'likely...81%If modal statements do not require grounding in possible individuals o...80%
    Type
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    Perspectives
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    Edits
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