Perspectival plurality, relativism, and multiple indexing

Authors

  • Dan Zeman

Abstract

In this paper I focus on a recently discussed phenomenon illustrated by sentences containing predicates of taste: the phenomenon of “perspectival plurality”, whereby sentences containing two or more predicates of taste have readings according to which each predicate pertains to a different perspective. This phenomenon has been shown to be problematic for (at least certain versions of) relativism. My main aim is to further the discussion by showing that the phenomenon extends to other perspectival expressions than predicates of taste and by proposing a general solution to the problem raised by it on behalf of the relativist. The core claim of the solution (“multiple indexing”) is that utterances of sentences containing perspectival expressions should be evaluated with respect to (possibly infinite) sequences of perspective parameters. While such a move sounds radical, I argue that the departure from the traditional Kaplanian framework is not as dramatic as it sounds.

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How to Cite

Zeman, D. (2019). Perspectival plurality, relativism, and multiple indexing. Proceedings of Sinn Und Bedeutung, 21(2), 1353–1370. Retrieved from https://ojs.ub.uni-konstanz.de/sub/index.php/sub/article/view/203