Word Meaning and Concept Expressed: Philosophical and Linguistic Perspectives

The concept expressed by a word on a specific occasion often diverges from the concept encoded by the word. In recent years, this divergence has been the central focus for theorists working on lexical modulation, ad hoc concept construction and polysemy, especially in the contextualist tradition. This conference brings together philosophers and linguists to explore how occasion-specific meanings arise, how they relate to lexical semantics and pragmatics, and what their existence implies for broader issues in philosophy of language and mind (e.g. the nature of concepts, verbal disputes). Topics include the structure of lexical meaning, the theoretical distinction (or lack thereof) between polysemy and ad hoc concepts, and the implications of meaning flexibility for philosophical debates.