Revisiting Lockhart: A Case for a Conditional Operator

<p>This thesis presents a case for a binary modal conditional operator compatible with both circumstantial and epistemic modal bases. Certain contexts involving <em>might</em> conditionals require <em>might</em> to take wide-scope over a conditional proposition. A restrictor-view analysis of conditionals is unable to derive both the intuitive meaning of the <em>might</em> conditional and the necessary conditional proposition without positing a covert circumstantial necessity modal. However, based on observations of the temporal orientation of conditionals, such a modal lacks independent motivation. On the other hand, a binary modal conditional operator not only provides the necessary conditional proposition but is also able to derive the intuitive meaning of the <em>might</em> conditional while accounting for the observed modal environments of conditional antecedents and conditional consequents.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

Master

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Linguistics

Grantor

The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York

Year dc:date.available

2018

Author dc:creator

• Tsai, Eric J

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Sam Al Khatib

• Linguistics
• Semantics and Pragmatics
• kratzer
• von fintel
• restrictor view
• modality
• strict implication
• material implication

Repository record dc:identifier

https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2529

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:academicworks.cuny.edu:gc_etds-3588