Truth-conditional semantics

Robyn Carston
Table of contents

Truth-conditional semantics is a theory of the meaning of natural language sentences. It takes the language–world relation as the basic concern of semantics rather than the language–mind relation: language is about states of affairs in the world. The semantic competence of a speaker–hearer is said to consist in his/her knowledge, for any sentence of his/her language, of how the world would have to be for that sentence to be true.

Full-text access is restricted to subscribers. Log in to obtain additional credentials. For subscription information see Subscription & Price.

References

Blackburn, S.
1984 Spreading the word. Clarendon Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Blakemore, D.
1987 Semantic constraints on relevance. Blackwell. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Carston, R.
1988 Implicature, explicature and truth-theoretic semantics. In KempsonR. (ed.) Mental representations: 155–181. Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Chierchia, G. & S. Mcconnell-Ginet
1990 Meaning and grammar. MIT Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Davidson, D.
1967 Truth and meaning. Synthese 17: 304–323. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Devitt, M. & K. Sterelny
1987 Language and reality. Blackwell. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Dowty, D., R. Wall & S. Peters
1981 Introduction to Montague semantics. Reidel. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Evans, G. & J. Mcdowell
1976 Truth and meaning. Clarendon Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Evnine, S.
1991 Donald Davidson. Polity Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Fodor, J. A.
1975 The language of thought. Crowell. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1987 Psychosemantics. MIT Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1990 A theory of content and other essays. MIT Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Fodor, J. D.
1977 Semantics. Harvester. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Frege, G
1892 Über Sinn und Bedeutung. Zeitschrift fur Philosophie und philosophische Kritik 100: 25–50. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Frege, G.
(1977) [1918] The thought. In Logical investigations. Blackwell. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Gazdar, G.
1979 Pragmatics. Academic Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Grice, P
1975 Logic and conversation. In ColeP. & J. Morgan (eds.) Syntax and semantics 3: 41–58. Academic Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Grice, P.
(1989) [1967] The William James lectures. In Studies in the way of words: Part I. Harvard University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Higginbotham, J.
1985 On semantics. Linguistic Inquiry 16: 547–593. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1986 Linguistic theory and Davidson’s program in semantics. In LeporeE. (ed.). Truth and interpretation: 29–48. Blackwell. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Jackendoff, R.
1983 Semantics and cognition. MIT Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Katz, J.
1972 Semantic theory. Harper. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kempson, R.
1977 Semantic theory. Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Larson, R.
1990 Semantics. In OshersonD. & H. Lasnik (eds.). An invitation to cognitive science: 23–42. MIT Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Levinson, S.
1983 Pragmatics. Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lewis, D.
1970 General semantics. Synthese 22: 18–67. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1979 Scorekeeping in a language game. Journal of Philosophical Logic 8: 339–359. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1981 Index context and content. In KangerS. & D. Ohman (eds.). Philosophy and grammar: 79–100. Reidel. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1983 Philosophical papers, vol. 1Oxford University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mcginn, C.
1977 Semantics for nonindicative sentences. Philosophical Studies 32: 301–311. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Martin, R.
1987 The meaning of language. MIT Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Montague, R.
1974 Formal philosophy. Yale University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Searle, J. R.
1969 Speech acts. Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1979 Expression and meaning. Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sperber, D. & D. Wilson
1986 Relevance. Blackwell. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Strawson, P.
(1971) [1969] Meaning and truth. In Logico-linguistic papers: 170–189. Methuen. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Tarski, A.
1944 The semantic conception of truth. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 4: 341–76. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Wilson, D.
1992 Reference and relevance. UCL Working Papers in Linguistics 4: 167–191. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Wilson, D. & D. Sperber
1988a Representation and relevance. In KempsonR. (ed.). Mental representations: 133–153. Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1988b Mood and the analysis of non-declarative sentences. In J. Dancy, J. Moravcsik & C. Taylor (eds.) Human agency: 77–101. Stanford University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1993 Linguistic form and relevance. Lingua 90: 1–25. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
 
Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 jbe-platform.quadraat-sans-bold jbe-platform.quadraat-sans-bold-dark jbe-platform.quadraat-sans-bold-light jbe-platform.quadraat-sans-bold prag Twitter_Logo_Blue