Robert Stalnaker's pragmatic theory "Common Ground" (2002) is investigated in regard to questions. The wh-question "who left?" and the yes-no question "did someone leave?" are investigated as for a change of presupposition, common belief and common ground. For the wh-question, I came to the conclusion that there is a presupposition in the Stalnakerian notion of the term; there might be a belief change and there is a change of common ground. For the yes-no question, there is neither a presupposition included, nor a change of common belief or common ground.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Presuppositions
- Different Approaches towards a Definition of a presupposition
- Presuppositions and Questions
- Common Belief
- Stalnaker's Definition of Common Belief and how common belief changes with declarative sentences
- Common belief change with questions
- Common Ground
- Stalnaker's definition of common ground
- Common ground change because of questions
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper examines Stalnaker's theory of common ground and its applicability to questions. The paper aims to explore how Stalnaker's concepts of presupposition, common belief, and common ground change with the use of questions, particularly wh-questions and yes-no questions. It investigates the relationship between presuppositions and questions in the context of Stalnaker's framework.
- Presupposition theory and its different approaches
- Stalnaker's definition of common belief and its implications for conversation
- The impact of questions on common ground and common belief
- The analysis of wh-questions and yes-no questions in the context of Stalnaker's theory
- The role of accommodation in common ground change
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introduction outlines the paper's objectives and presents Stalnaker's goal in his paper "Common Ground." The paper explores how Stalnaker's theory can be extended to analyze questions.
The chapter on presuppositions examines various definitions of presupposition, including semantic and pragmatic perspectives. It discusses the negation criteria for presuppositions and provides examples. The chapter then explores how Stalnaker's definition of presupposition applies to questions, analyzing both wh-questions and yes-no questions.
The chapter on common belief presents Stalnaker's definition of common belief and demonstrates how it changes with declarative sentences. The chapter explores the concept of accommodation and how it contributes to common ground change. It then analyzes how the concept of common belief changes with questions.
The chapter on common ground introduces Stalnaker's definition of common ground and investigates how it changes with questions. The chapter further explores the relationship between common ground and presuppositions in the context of questions.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The core concepts explored in this paper include presupposition, common belief, common ground, speaker presupposition, accommodation, wh-questions, yes-no questions, interrogatives, and Stalnakerian theory.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Robert Stalnaker's "Common Ground" theory?
It is a pragmatic theory suggesting that the reality experienced by individuals and the knowledge they possess are constructed by the surrounding society through shared beliefs and presuppositions in conversation.
How do wh-questions affect common ground?
Wh-questions, like "who left?", carry a presupposition in Stalnaker's framework. They can lead to a belief change and a subsequent change in the common ground of the participants.
Do yes-no questions change the common belief?
According to the paper's investigation, yes-no questions like "did someone leave?" typically do not include a presupposition and do not result in a change of common belief or common ground.
What is the role of accommodation in this theory?
Accommodation is the process by which participants in a conversation adjust their common ground to include new presuppositions, ensuring the conversation can proceed smoothly.
What is the difference between semantic and pragmatic presuppositions?
The paper examines various definitions, contrasting semantic approaches (focused on truth conditions) with Stalnaker's pragmatic approach (focused on speaker attitudes and shared information).
- Quote paper
- Daniela Keller (Author), 2004, Robert Stalnaker: Common Ground, 2002: A presentation of his paper and an investigation how its theories can be applied to questions., Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/37336
