On Strawsonian contexts
P.F. Strawson proposed in the early seventies a threefold distinction regarding how context bears on the meaning of ‘what is said’ when a sentence is uttered. The proposal was somewhat tentative and, being aware of this aspect, Strawson himself raised various questions to
make it more adequate. In this paper, we review Strawson’s scheme, note his concerns, and add some of our own. We also defend its essence and recommend it as an insightful entry point re the interplay of intended meaning and context.
Keywords: context; disambiguation; illocutionary force; indexical; literary theory; meaning; reference; translation; ‘what is said’
Document Type: Research Article
Publication date: 01 January 2005
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