G61.3340 Seminar in Semantics:
Donkey sentences and related phenomena
Prof. Paul Elbourne
Spring 2003
This seminar will investigate the semantics of donkey sentences and related phenomena, that is sentences in which pronouns have a covarying interpretation but cannot be bound in the normal way by an antecedent that has scope over them. A classic example is the medieval logicians' 'Every man who owns a donkey beats it', introduced into the modern literature by Geach.
In particular, we will be examining three theories that attempt to solve the problem of the interpretation of these sentences: the E-type hypothesis of Evans and Cooper, according to which pronouns can be interpreted as definite descriptions of a certain kind; the dynamic binding hypothesis, originating in work by Heim and Kamp, which alters the mechanisms of binding to allow it to take place when the antecedent does not c-command the bound item; and recent work by Polly Jacobson, who claims within the framework of Categorial Grammar that pronouns are always interpreted as the identity function over individuals and that type-shifting mechanisms produce the attested readings. Attention will be paid to the implications of these theories for foundational questions concerning the nature of meaning and truth, with readings from influential work by Stalnaker. As well as the above-mentioned authors, we will discuss work by Groenendijk and Stokhof, Elbourne and Buering, and possibly others as time allows.
Last Modified: November 5, 2002