Expected utility and intentional action: The semantics of try

Abstract

This paper explores a new semantics for try. Sharvit’s (2003) and Grano’s (2017a) event semantics are evaluated in light of novel data pertaining to the entailments that try licenses. A new account is proposed which incorporates information about an agent’s expected utilities (Jeffrey, 1965). This new account, building on the insights of the previous ones, predicts try’s peculiar entailment properties. Further data is presented which lends itself to this new approach.