Reading group – “Meaning Without Truth” by Stefano Predelli (2013)

As part of Reading philosophy department’s reading group, we have been discussing Meaning without Truth by Stefano Predelli. The reading group is every Thursday at 1pm in HumSS 124.

Here is a link to the OUP site: http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/product/9780199695638.do

In Meaning with Truth, Predelli argues that semantic theory must account for a kind of conventional meaning that is associated with a broad range of expressions and yet is not truth-conditional. Predelli labels such meaning “bias” and attempts to give an account of what a semantic theory of bias will look like. In the process, the book approaches a number of interesting linguistic phenomena such as coarse slang, honorifics, derogatory slurs, vocatives, and more.

On 4th December, we will even have the opportunity to discuss the book with the author himself, as Professor Predelli will be coming along to discuss the ideas from the book. If you would like to attend, please get in touch with Dr. Mark Pinder via the email address below.

m.j.pinder@reading.ac.uk

Meaning without truth

Virtual Meeting Dates

We are pleased to announce that we will be holding a series of virtual meetings over the next academic year. Below are the dates of each virtual meeting as well as the readings that constitute the topics for each meeting. (The readings are provisional and may be subject to change).

Wednesday 10th December 2014, 10:00 – 12:00 – Emma Borg “Exploding Explicatures”.

Wednesday 18th March 2015 10:00-12:00 – Peter Ludlow, (2014) “Living Words” Ch. 3, Oxford University Press.

Wednesday 29th April 2015 10:00 – 12:00 – Nathaniel Hansen, “Colour Adjectives and Absolute Standards”.

Wednesday 10th June 2015 10:00-12:00 – Agustín Rayo (2013) “A Plea for Semantic Localism”, Nous 47, 647-679.

If you are interested in attending one of virtual meetings then get in touch via one of the following addresses:
pervasive_context@reading.ac.uk
j.grindrod@pgr.reading.ac.uk