ERIC Number: EJ1025295
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Aug
Pages: 35
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0364-0213
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Causal Premise Semantics
Kaufmann, Stefan
Cognitive Science, v37 n6 p1136-1170 Aug 2013
The rise of causality and the attendant graph-theoretic modeling tools in the study of counterfactual reasoning has had resounding effects in many areas of cognitive science, but it has thus far not permeated the mainstream in linguistic theory to a comparable degree. In this study I show that a version of the predominant framework for the formal semantic analysis of conditionals, Kratzer-style premise semantics, allows for a straightforward implementation of the crucial ideas and insights of Pearl-style causal networks. I spell out the details of such an implementation, focusing especially on the notions of "intervention" on a network and "backtracking" interpretations of counterfactuals.
Descriptors: Semantics, Linguistic Theory, Form Classes (Languages), Causal Models, Language Research, Networks, Intervention
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
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