Natural Language and Logic of Agency

This light piece reflects on analogies between two often disjoint streams of research: the logical semantics and pragmatics of natural language and dynamic logics of general information-driven agency. The two areas show significant overlap in themes and tools, and yet, the focus seems subtly different in each, defying a simple comparison. We discuss some unusual questions that emerge when the two are put side by side, without any pretense at covering the whole literature or at reaching definitive conclusions.

[1]  Noah D. Goodman,et al.  Probabilistic Semantics and Pragmatics: Uncertainty in Language and Thought , 2015 .

[2]  R. Rooij.  Questioning to resolve decision problems , 2003 .

[3]  Lawrence S. Moss,et al.  Natural Logic and Semantics , 2009, Amsterdam Colloquium on Logic, Language and Meaning.

[4]  P. B. Thum.  Lenzen, W.: Glauben, Wissen und Wahrscheinlichkeit : Systeme der epistemischen Logik. - Wien: Springer, 1980 , 2015 .

[5]  L. Vogt.  Game Theory And Pragmatics , 2016 .

[6]  H. Kamp.  A Theory of Truth and Semantic Representation , 2008 .

[7]  Brendan S. Gillon,et al.  On the semantics/pragmatics distinction , 2008, Synthese.

[8]  Yoav Shoham,et al.  Multiagent Systems - Algorithmic, Game-Theoretic, and Logical Foundations , 2009 .

[9]  Floris Roelofsen,et al.  Inquisitive dynamic epistemic logic , 2014, Synthese.

[10]  Frank Veltman,et al.  Defaults in update semantics , 1996, J. Philos. Log..

[11]  Isidora Stojanovic,et al.  The semantics/pragmatics distinction , 2008, Synthese.

[12]  Barbara Messing,et al.  An Introduction to MultiAgent Systems , 2002, Künstliche Intell..

[13]  S. Yalcin.  Epistemic Modals , 2007 .

[14]  Chung-hye Han,et al.  Evidentiality in language and cognition , 2007, Cognition.

[15]  Floris Roelofsen,et al.  Inquisitive Semantics: A New Notion of Meaning , 2013, Lang. Linguistics Compass.

[16]  J. Benthem.  Essays in Logical Semantics , 1986 .

[17]  N. Cocchiarella,et al.  Situations and Attitudes. , 1986 .

[18]  Johan van Benthem,et al.  Exploring logical dynamics , 1996, Studies in logic, language and information.

[19]  Territoire Urbain,et al.  Convention , 1955, Hidden Nature.

[20]  Yanjing Wang,et al.  Reasoning About Agent Types and the Hardest Logic Puzzle Ever , 2012, Minds and Machines.

[21]  Tomek Strzalkowski,et al.  From Discourse to Logic , 1991 .

[22]  Jeroen Groenendijk,et al.  Dynamic predicate logic , 1991 .

[23]  B. Smets,et al.  Doxastic Attitudes as Belief-Revision Policies Alexandru Baltag , 2012 .

[24]  Johan van Benthem,et al.  Epistemic dynamics and protocol information , 2009 .

[25]  Johan van Benthem,et al.  Logical Dynamics of Information and Interaction: Contents , 2014 .

[26]  Georg Klaus.  Einführung in die formale Logik , 1958 .

[27]  Chrystopher L. Nehaniv,et al.  Symbol Grounding and Beyond, Third International Workshop on the Emergence and Evolution of Linguistic Communication, EELC 2006, Rome, Italy, September 30 - October 1, 2006, Proceedings , 2006, EELC.

[28]  Gerhard Jäger,et al.  Language structure: psychological and social constraints , 2007, Synthese.

[29]  Joseph Y. Halpern.  Reasoning about uncertainty , 2003 .

[30]  Robert Stalnaker,et al.  Presuppositions , 1973, J. Philos. Log..

[31]  V. Hacquard,et al.  Epistemics and attitudes , 2013 .

[32]  David Ripley,et al.  Tolerant, Classical, Strict , 2010, Journal of Philosophical Logic.

[33]  Megumi Kameyama,et al.  Indefeasible Semantics and Defeasible Pragmatics , 1994, ArXiv.

[34]  Jerry R. Hobbs,et al.  Interpretation as Abduction , 1993, Artif. Intell..

[35]  K. Szendrői,et al.  Experimenting with the king of France: Topics, verifiability and definite descriptions , 2013 .

[36]  David I. Beaver.  Chapter 17 – Presupposition* , 1997 .

[37]  Wolfgang Lenzen,et al.  Glauben, Wissen und Wahrscheinlichkeit , 1980 .

[38]  Gustavo Torrens,et al.  Meaningful Talk , 2011 .

[39]  Luc Bovens,et al.  Monty hall drives a wedge between Judy Benjamin and the sleeping beauty: A reply to Bovens , 2010 .

[40]  Krzysztof R. Apt,et al.  New Perspectives on Games and Interaction , 2008 .

[41]  J.F.A.K. van Benthem,et al.  Games that make sense: Logic, language and multi-agent interaction , 2008 .

[42]  Johan van Benthem,et al.  Handbook of Logic and Language , 1996 .

[43]  Ronald Fagin,et al.  Reasoning about knowledge , 1995 .

[44]  Johan van Benthem,et al.  Logic Across the University: Foundations and Applications , 2013 .

[45]  Robert van Rooy.  Questioning to Resolve Decision Problems , 2003 .

[46]  Lawrence S. Moss.  Exploring Logical Dynamics, Johan van Benthem , 2000, J. Log. Lang. Inf..

[47]  J. Hintikka,et al.  Game-Theoretical Semantics , 1997 .

[48]  M. Stokhof.  Hand or Hammer? On Formal and Natural Languages in Semantics , 2007 .

[49]  Johan van Benthem,et al.  Logic in Games , 2014 .

[50]  Gerhard Jäger,et al.  Game Theory and Pragmatics , 2005 .

[51]  Christian Helmut Wenzel.  How Pictorial is Chinese? And Does it Matter? , 2010 .

[52]  Philippe Schlenker,et al.  Be Articulate: A pragmatic theory of presupposition projection , 2008 .

[53]  Johan van Benthem,et al.  Merging Frameworks for Interaction , 2009, J. Philos. Log..

[54]  R. A. Nelson,et al.  Common ground. , 2020, Lancet.

[55]  Johan van Benthem.  Logical Dynamics of Information and Interaction: Preface , 2011 .

[56]  L. T. F. Gamut.  Logic, language, and meaning , 1991 .

[57]  Michael Wooldridge,et al.  Introduction to multiagent systems , 2001 .

[58]  Peter Gärdenfors,et al.  Cooperation, Conceptual Spaces and the Evolution of Semantics , 2006, EELC.