Interpreted logical forms: a critique
Robert Fiengo, Robert May · 1996
Interpreted Logical Forms (ILFs) are objects composed of a syntactic structure annotated with the semantic values (objectual content) of each node of the structure. We criticize the view that ILFs are the objects of propositional attitude verbs such as believe, as this is developed by Larson and Ludlow (1993). Our critique arises &om a tension in the way that sententialist and propositionalist assumptions are embedded in their theory. We argue that the instability in the theory that arises from this tension undermines Larson and Ludlow's claim that belief-reports can be individuated by distinctions in the form or content of ILFs. The locus of the problems we pose centers on how anaphoric relations are to playa role in determining discriminable properties of ILFs; we argue that Larson and Ludlow present no coherent theory of anaphora which mates with the notion that objectual content is part of the objects ofbelief-reports.-1. Russellian belief If one were to review current thinking about belief and beliefreports,