Project description
A new framework for modal logic based on inquisitive semantics
Modal logic is used in fields as diverse as philosophy, computer science, AI, linguistics and economics. It formalises reasoning about concepts such as possibility, obligation, permission, knowledge, action and outcome. Traditionally, modal logic is based on truth-conditional semantics. This foundation entails two limitations: first, one cannot analyse a variety of important modal notions whose arguments are not propositions but questions that lack truth conditions; second, it is inadequate for the analysis of modalities in natural language, as witnessed by the long-standing problem of free-choice inferences. The ERC-funded InqML project will overcome these limitations by developing a novel framework for modal logic based on a new foundation: inquisitive semantics. The approach promises new applications for modal logic and novel linguistic insights.
Objective
"Modal logic is at the heart of an incredibly fruitful interdisciplinary enterprise: it is used to formalize reasoning about key notions like knowledge and belief, obligation and permission, action and outcome, and finds important applications in computer science, AI, economics, and linguistics. In its current form, modal logic builds on truth-conditional semantics, which analyzes meaning in terms of truth conditions. This is the source of two limitations. First, there are important modal notions whose argument is not a proposition, but a question. Since questions do not have truth conditions, these notions cannot be analyzed in existing modal logics. Second, much recent work indicates that natural language modals are sensitive not only to the truth conditions of their argument, but also to the different ""alternatives"" it presents, thus making distinctions that are invisible to truth-conditional semantics. The aim of this project is to develop a new framework for modal logic that overcomes these limitations; to achieve this, we will replace truth-conditional semantics with a novel foundation: inquisitive semantics. Since inquisitive semantics allows us to analyze not only statements but also questions, it becomes pos- sible to define modal operators that take questions as arguments. This brings a whole spectrum of new modal notions within the reach of logical analysis; examples include the notion of supervenience, several notions of dependence and independence, agential control and influence, and attitudes like wondering and indifference. Moreover, since inquisitive semantics allows us to associate a modal argument with a set of alternatives, we may now define a new class of modalities that are alternative-sensitive. This allows us to systematize a number of proposals made in the literature and to aim for a general theory of the alternative-sensitivity of natural language modals."
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2023-STG
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35122 Padova
Italy
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