On fatal competition and the nature of distributive inferences
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11050_2023_9210_ReferencePDF.pdf
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Author(s)
Bar-Lev, Moshe E.
Fox, Danny
Date Issued
September 25, 2023
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Citation
Bar-Lev, Moshe E. and Fox, Danny. 2023. "On fatal competition and the nature of distributive inferences."
Version
Author's final manuscript
Abstract
Abstract
Denić (2018, 2019, To appear) observes that the availability of distributive inferences—for sentences with disjunction embedded in the scope of a universal quantifier—depends on the size of the domain quantified over as it relates to the number of disjuncts. Based on her observations, she argues that probabilistic considerations play a role in the computation of implicatures. In this paper we explore a different possibility. We argue for a modification of Denić’s generalization, and provide an explanation that is based on intricate logical computations but is blind to probabilities. The explanation is based on the observation that when the domain size is no larger than the number of disjuncts, universal and existential alternatives are equivalent if distributive inferences are obtained. We argue that under such conditions a general ban on ‘fatal competition’ (Magri 2009a,b, Spector 2014) is activated, thereby predicting distributive inferences to be unavailable.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Linguistics and Philosophy
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Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11050-023-09210-3
