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Modeling Semantic Competence: A Critical Review of Frege’s Puzzle about Identity

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New Directions in Logic, Language and Computation (ESSLLI 2010, ESSLLI 2011)

Abstract

The present paper discusses Frege’s Puzzle about Identity as an argument against a Millian theory of meaning for proper names. The key notion here is semantic competence. Strict notions of semantic competence are extrapolated from a two-sorted first-order epistemic logical modeling of a cognitive neuropsychological theory of the structure of lexical competence. The model allows for a rigorous analysis of Frege’s argument. The theory and model of lexical semantic competence includes a multitude of types of competence, each yielding a different argument, far from all being as decisive against Millianism as has been the mainstream assumption in 20th century philosophy of language.

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Rendsvig, R.K. (2012). Modeling Semantic Competence: A Critical Review of Frege’s Puzzle about Identity. In: Lassiter, D., Slavkovik, M. (eds) New Directions in Logic, Language and Computation. ESSLLI ESSLLI 2010 2011. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 7415. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-31467-4_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-31467-4_10

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-31466-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-31467-4

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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