Imperative Meaning in Context

NASSLI 2010, Bloomington, Indiana

Instructors:
Cleo Condoravdi and Sven Lauer
Dates:
June 21 - 25, 2010
Time:
9 - 10:30am
Room:
Swain West 103

This course is concerned with the performative effects of `conduct-guiding' natural language utterances. Imperatives are the prototypical type of expression that can be used to bring about such effects. They can be used for a variety of functions, such as to command, request, permit, wish, concede, or give advice. Other forms can be used to the same effect as well, such as modalized indicatives and questions ('You must pay the victim $500', 'You may take a cookie', 'Would/Can you sign this receipt, please?'), assertions of speaker and hearer desires ('I want you to take these pills for a week', 'You want to take a left here') and a range of more specialized expressions. The interactional force such an expression can have on any given occasion of utterance depends on both features of the context and its conventional meaning. The challenge for theories of natural language is thus to get the division of labor between (conventional) semantic meaning and (non-conventional) pragmatic reasoning right, so as to correctly predict all (and only all) possible expression/context/force triples.

We survey theories of imperatives in linguistic semantics, the philosophy of language and logic with an emphasis on how well they rise to the challenge posed above and develop an approach to the problem that pays due attention to the interactional purpose of imperatives and other expressions as tools to coordinate between speakers' and addressees' displayed preferences and future courses of action.

A basic knowledge of formal semantics is required.

Schedule & Readings

All references to the readings as a .bib-file (general bibliography + .bib-file to come)

Mon, June 21: Introduction

A high-level overview about conceptual issues in the analysis of imperatives. The independence of denotatum and dynamic effect. The problem of functional heterogeneity. Searle's view on indirect speech acts.

Material

Readings

Tue, June 22: Imperatives and Modals I

Portner's (2005,2007) analysis of imperatives in terms of Todo-Lists & selection functions. Some interactions between modals and imperatives. The representation of discourse parameters.

Material

Readings:

Background Reading:

Wed, June 23: Imperatives and Modals II

Ninan's observations about deontic must. How they are or are not arguments against modal analyses of imperatives. Schwager's (2006) account of imperatives as modal assertions that necessarily give rise to performative effects.

Material

Readings:

Secondary Reading

Thu, June 24: Imperatives as Preferential Attitudes

More on Schwager. Open issues for underspecification accounts. Performative uses of desiderative assertions. Preference Structures and effective preferences. Imperatives as assertions about effective preferences.

Material

Readings

Secondary Reading

Fri, June 25: Speaking of Commitments: Imperatives and Explicit Performatives

More on imperatives as assertions about effective preferences. Explicit performatives and speech acts. Commitments and conventions of use.

Material

Readings

Secondary Reading