Lecture 7 - Semantics, Cross-Cultural Style

Poll

When someone says the name 'Gödel' in this scenario, they are talking about...

Multiple Choice

According to the descriptivist, who does the name 'Gödel' in this scenario refer to?

Poll

In this scenario, do we know that Jonah did not exist?

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

In this scenario, what does the causal-historical theory say?

• Jonah may still have existed, even if no prophet was swallowed by a whale.

• If no prophet was swallowed by a whale, Jonah did not exist.

Open Ended

How did Machery et al. score the responses of participants (p. 52)?

Multiple Choice

In general, Westerners were more likely to give the causal-historical answer, but this wasn't the case for the Jonah cases. Which of the following is NOT one of the explanations they entertain (p. 52)?

• The Jonah cases were too long and complex.

• In the Jonah cases, the descriptivist response is that the speaker's term fails to refer

• Both groups reject the uncharitable interpretation that the speaker is not talking about anyone

• In these cases, both groups were told of the other groups answers.