Context-relativity in Semantics

In many respects, what is expressed by means of the utterance of a sentence depends on the context in which the utterance takes place.  Theorists have attempted to explain this context-relativity in various ways.  One broad approach is to build context-relativity into the formal semantics of natural language.  This conference will deal with controversies that arise within this approach to countenancing context-relativity.

Speakers (in alphabetical order):

• Maria Aloni, University of Amsterdam, TBA
• Christopher Gauker, University of Salzburg, "Contexts Don't Assign Things"
• Dirk Kindermann, University of Graz, "Context, Conversation and Mental Fragmentation"
• Nikola Kompa, University of Osnabrück, "Context-sensitivity and Disagreement"
• Karen Lewis, Columbia University, "Objectivity and the Meta-Semantics of Context-Sensitive Expressions"
• Emar Maier, University of Groningen, "Fighting Supermonsters: Exploring the Limits of Context Shifting in Semantics"
• Paulo Santorio, University of Leeds, "Context Dependence in Counterfactuals: From Domain Shift to Alternative Shift"
• Anders Schoubye, University of Edinburgh, "What is Said"
• Isidora Stojanovic, CNRS, "On the Context-relativity of Aesthetic Predicates"
• Andreas Stokke, University of Umeå, "Indexicals as Variables"
• Paula Sweeney, University of Aberdeen, "Sentence-truth, Proposition-truth"

We are grateful for the financial support of the following sponsors:

• The Office of the Rector, University of Salzburg
• The Office of the Vice Rector for International Relations and Communication, University of Salzburg
• The Department of Philosophy (KGW) of the University of Salzburg
• The City of Salzburg:  MA2 — Kultur, Bildung und Wissen
• The German Society for Analytic Philosophy (GAP)

Visitors are very welcome to attend.  Prior registration is not required, but we would be grateful to know in advance that you plan to attend. 

Student visitors looking for inexpensive housing during the conference, should contact the organizer.

For more information, please contact the organizer:  Prof. Christopher Gauker, email:  [email protected]