Quantifications, existence-entailing predicates and existential import

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Dolf Rami
• Subject Area: Theoretical Philosophy ; General and Comparative Linguistics, Experimental Linguistics, Typology, Non-European Languages
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 464463954

This project aims to highlight and defend an overlooked possibility to account for the existential import of quantifications. For this purpose, we aim to develop a new multiple-domain world semantics, which allows us to formally represent the distinction between existence-entailing, non-existence-entailing and existential neutral predicates and makes either use of an existentially neutral or adaptive interpretation of the involved quantifiers. Our account has far-reaching consequences that concern a variety of topics such as the nature of existence, the analysis of hyper-intensional modifiers, the choice between extensional vs. intensional interpretations of the domain of quantifications, the general usefulness of multiple-domain logical frameworks, and advantages and disadvantages of variable and constant domain frameworks for quantifiers within intensional semantics.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: France, United Kingdom, USA
• Cooperation Partners: Professorin Dr. Friederike Moltmann; Professor Dr. Graham Priest; Dr. Lee Walters