Experimental Semantics and the Testing of Usage

"Experimental Semantics" is concerned with the empirical testing of theories of reference. Starting with Semantics, cross-cultural style, the seminal work of Edouard Machery, Ron Mallon, Shaun Nichols and Stephen Stich, this testing has been of the referential intuitions of the folk. Michael Devitt and Genoveva Martí have criticized this approach urging instead the testing of linguistic usage. This workshop is concerned with this new approach.

The program of the workshop is the following:

Friday (22nd April 2016)

4:15         “The Reference of Proper Names: Testing Usage and Intuitions”

                (Michael Devitt and Nicolas Porot)

5:55           break

6:15           “Experimental Semantics, Salience and Hybrid

                   Theory of Reference”

                  (Filippo Domaneschi and Massimiliano Vignolo)

Saturday (23rd April 2016)

9:30           “Exploring New Methods in Experimental Semantics”

                   (Jussi Haukioja and Daniel Cohnitz)

11:10          break

11:30          “The Role of Actual and Counterfactual Cases in

                   Experimental Semantics”

                  (Jennifer Nado and Michael Johnson)

1:10            Lunch break

2:30            “Is There Referential Ambiguity?” (Ángel Pinillos)

4:10             break

4:30            “Semantics Without Intuitions?” (Åsa Wikforss)

6:10            break

6:30            “Round table”

End around 7:40

We invite anyone interested in philosophy of language and experimental research on theories of reference. There is no conference fee. The venue of the workshop is:

First Day (22 April) : Institute of Philosophy, room 209; address: Krakowskie Przedmiescie 3, Warsaw

Second Day (23 April): University of Warsaw, Central Campus, the bulding of Old University Library, room 205; address: Krakowskie Przedmiescie 26/28, Warsaw

If you are interested in the issues of "experimental semantics", you can listen to the interview with one of our keynote speakers:

philosophybites.com/2016/02/michael-devitt-on-experimental-semantics.html[philosophybites.com]

Contact information: Wojtek Rostworowski, [email protected]