Philosophy Café: Demonstrative Reference and Speaker Intentions – Dr. Ryan Doran

The Philosophy Café is an open exchange of philosophical ideas led by a University of Regina Philosophy Professor or a Graduate Student. The Café runs each Fall and Winter semester. The Department of Philosophy & Classics is proud to present the third and final talk in our Philosophy Café Fall 2014 Schedule. “Demonstrative Reference and Speaker Intentions” Presented By: Dr. Ryan Doran Dr. Doran is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the U of R. Demonstrative Expressions (in English this, that, these, and those) are claimed to be universal to all human languages and among the first words that children learn, but their analysis has remained elusive for philosophers and linguists. As demonstratives are used to refer to objects in the immediate surroundings, philosophers have been particularly interested in the relationship between demonstratives and thought; however, explaining how a demonstrative comes to be about a particular object has proven difficult. In this presentation I explore the theoretical issues surrounding demonstrative reference and present an analysis in which the use of demonstrative expressions is governed by rational norms of conversation observed by speakers.

More information at: http://www.uregina.ca/events/philosophy-caf-demonstrative-reference-and-speaker-intentions-dr-ryan-doran