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Questions tagged [semantics]

Semantics, in philosophy, often refers to "relation between signs and the things to which they refer and is seen, often, within the school of rhetoric.

Semantics, in philosophy, often refers to "relation between signs and the things to which they refer" and is seen, often, within the school of rhetoric.

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What is "compositionality" of meaning and why is it syntax rather than semantics?

I don't understand why "compositionality" of meaning belongs to syntax, and isn't a clearly semantic issue (if I understand it at all. Maybe you could give me an example). Here is a quote from Steven W. Horst's book “Symbols, Computation and…
viuser
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Is a non-existent apple not an apple?

If "an apple doesn't exist" means "not only an apple doesn't exist in reality, but also an apple doesn't exist in mind or anywhere", Is an apple, which doesn't exist, not an apple or is an apple, which doesn't exist, still an apple? Why I'm confused…
user68943
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Which is the difference between akrasia and procrastination?

I researched in some sources but I'm not pretty sure if they are accurate: Akrasia "...occasionally transliterated as acrasia, is the state of acting against one's better judgment." Procastination "Procrastination is the practice of carrying out…
4gus71n
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Is there a systematic way of checking semantics?

Is there a systematic and preferably rigorous way of checking whether a framework of concept interpretations is consistent?
Matthias Michael Engh
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"Why ask why" and its scions

Let every imperative I have a counterpart why-form, i.e., "Do X," has, "Why do X?" Let "ask why" be some I. Then there should be, "Why ask why?" for this. But if you then fold this question into itself, you get, "Why ask 'why ask why?'" Question: is…
Kristian Berry
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I know that I know that I know

If it's true that "I know it's raining", is it necessarily also true that "I know that I know it's raining" and "I know that I know that I know..."? P.S. A similar example is "I try to try to try to solve this problem". Maybe these cases are of no…
asmani
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Are semantics reducible to syntax?

In my understanding, when a computer program is written, a syntax is a legal statement in the sense that tokens supplied are in expected relative positions. Whether or not that makes "semantic" sense to a given computation or a human is generally…
Weezy
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Can I describe a non-existent object in the past tense?

Pegasus doesn't exist, and it has never existed. Pegasus was a non-existent animal. Pegasus was a horse. Pegasus killed the monstrous Chimaera. Can these statements be true? I want to ask this question because all the statements about non-existent…
user68943
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Is the statement "Love is found in Love" circular?

I ask the above since I believe I have stumbled across a philosopher who puts forth a circular argument (which can be represented by a similar statement). Christopher Janaway writes that “Schopenhauer states that the thing-in-itself is the inner…
rux23
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The meanings of the gerunds that are used as nouns

I can't distinguish the meanings of gerunds. Eating (gerund) (=the action of eating) Eating slowly (gerund) (=the action of eating slowly) Do they refer to the same activity? (That is, is eating slowly eating?) Or eating and eating slowly refer to…
user71268