The Ways of Normality

Abstract:     
I contrast two approaches to the interpretation of generics such as 'ravens are black': majority-based views, on which they are about what is the case most of the time, and inquiry-based views, on which they are about a feature we focus on in inquiry - an inductive target. I argue that while majority-based views are preferable based on the most basic data about generics, only inquiry-based views can account for a systematic class of sentences: generics with logically complex predicates, such as 'cats are black, white, and ginger'. Thus, inquiry-based views should carry the day. I then go on to sketch a theory of inductive targets.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 23

Keywords: generics, natural language, semantics, probability

working papers series