4 Type Theory and Ordinary Language

1979 ◽  
pp. 127-152
Author(s):  
Terence Parsons
Author(s):  
Reinhard Muskens

Type-logical semantics studies linguistic meaning with the help of the theory of types. The latter originated with Russell as an answer to the paradoxes, but has the additional virtue that it is very close to ordinary language. In fact, type theory is so much more similar to language than predicate logic is, that adopting it as a vehicle of representation can overcome the mismatches between grammatical form and predicate logical form that were observed by Frege and Russell. The grammatical forms of ordinary language sentences consequently may be taken to be much less misleading than logicians in the first half of the twentieth century often thought them to be. This was realized by Richard Montague, who used the theory of types to translate fragments of ordinary language into a logical language. Semantics is commonly divided into lexical semantics, which studies the meaning of words, and compositional semantics, which studies the way in which complex phrases obtain a meaning from their constituents. The strength of type-logical semantics lies with the latter, but type-logical theories can be combined with many competing hypotheses about lexical meaning, provided these hypotheses are expressed using the language of type theory.


Author(s):  
David Corfield

This chapter explains how modal homotopy type theory combines ideas from two currents of thought: type theory and category theory. Despite what might appear to be rather different philosophical starting points, there has emerged an intrinsically structuralist language of great interest to computer scientists, mathematicians and physicists. This in itself should be enough to interest philosophers in the language, but further motivation is provided by addressing some of the kinds of objection raised to formalization in philosophy; in particular, those from ordinary language philosophy which emphasize the elasticity and context-dependence of natural language. We see that several of their concerns, such as that the definitional and descriptive uses of ‘is’ are conflated in logic, are addressed by the type theory. The prospect is then presented of an opportunity to use the new language to explore key issues in philosophy of mathematics, philosophy of language and metaphysics.


Author(s):  
Rob Nederpelt ◽  
Herman Geuvers
Keyword(s):  

2002 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Patterson

This article addresses the increasingly popular approach to Freud and his work which sees him primarily as a literary writer rather than a psychologist, and takes this as the context for an examination of Joyce Crick's recent translation of The Interpretation of Dreams. It claims that translation lies at the heart of psychoanalysis, and that the many interlocking and overlapping implications of the word need to be granted a greater degree of complexity. Those who argue that Freud is really a creative writer are themselves doing a work of translation, and one which fails to pay sufficiently careful attention to the role of translation in writing itself (including the notion of repression itself as a failure to translate). Lesley Chamberlain's The Secret Artist: A Close Reading of Sigmund Freud is taken as an example of the way Freud gets translated into a novelist or an artist, and her claims for his ‘bizarre poems' are criticized. The rest of the article looks closely at Crick's new translation and its claim to be restoring Freud the stylist, an ordinary language Freud, to the English reader. The experience of reading Crick's translation is compared with that of reading Strachey's, rather to the latter's advantage.


1996 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. M. Kulikov

Abstract This paper focuses on four tire computational models based on two-dimensional shear deformation theories, namely, the first-order Timoshenko-type theory, the higher-order Timoshenko-type theory, the first-order discrete-layer theory, and the higher-order discrete-layer theory. The joint influence of anisotropy, geometrical nonlinearity, and laminated material response on the tire stress-strain fields is examined. The comparative analysis of stresses and strains of the cord-rubber tire on the basis of these four shell computational models is given. Results show that neglecting the effect of anisotropy leads to an incorrect description of the stress-strain fields even in bias-ply tires.


Fachsprache ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 104-122
Author(s):  
Winfried Thielmann

Abstract Languages for special purposes have mainly been considered from the point of view that they are specialized, i.e. that they satisfy the terminological needs of expression of specialized groups. The purpose of this contribution is to demonstrate that specialized discourses such as university lectures may make specific use of ordinary language devices. An analysis of sections from German lectures in physics and mechanical engineering reveals that deictics play a special role in propositional  composition. The findings are relevant for the general principles of linguistic science and knowledge transfer as well as for teaching German as a first or second academic language. Schlagwörter: Sprache wissenschaftlicher Lehre – Deixis – Physik – Maschinenbau – propositionale Komposition Key words: Language of academic teaching – deictics – physics – mechanical engineering – propositional composition


NASPA Journal ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel W. Salter ◽  
Reynol Junco ◽  
Summer D. Irvin

To address the ability of the Salter Environment Type Assessment (SETA) to measure different kinds of campus environments, data from three studies of the SETA with the Work Environment Scale, Group Environment Scale, and University Residence Environment Scale were reexamined (n = 534). Relationship dimension scales were very consistent with extraversion and feeling from environmental type theory. System maintenance and systems change scales were associated with judging and perception on the SETA, respectively. Results from the SETA and personal growth dimension scales were mixed. Based on this analysis, the SETA may serve as a general purpose environmental assessment for use with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.


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