Phenomenological Reviews

Series | Book | Chapter

203442

On the any-thesis and the methodology of linguistics

Jaakko Hintikka

pp. 124-145

Abstract

In earlier publications, I have outlined a largely novel approach2 to the semantics of certain formal languages and of certain fragments of natural languages.3 In this approach, the truth of a sentence S is defined as the existence of a winning strategy for one of the two players, called myself, in a certain game G(S) associated with S.4 Intuitively, G(S) may be thought of as an attempt on my part to verify S against the schemes of an actively resistant opponent who is called Nature. On the basis of this idea, most of the game rules can be anticipated. For instance, I win if the game ends with a true primitive sentence, and Nature wins if it ends with a false one. For quantifier phrases like any Y who Z and every Y who Z, the game rules can also be anticipated. As a special case we have the following rules:

Publication details

Published in:

Hintikka Jaakko (1998) Paradigms for language theory and other essays. Dordrecht, Springer.

Pages: 124-145

DOI: 10.1007/978-94-017-2531-6_6

Full citation:

Hintikka Jaakko (1998) On the any-thesis and the methodology of linguistics, In: Paradigms for language theory and other essays, Dordrecht, Springer, 124–145.