Program



Robert van Rooij (ILLC, Amsterdam)
Adjectives, Comparatives, Measurement: insights from (social) choice theory


Abstract: Semanticts are familiar with some analogy between orderings and choice functions: they all know that a Stalnaker/Lewis analysis of counterfactuals can be stated in both ways. But the analogy is much wider than this, and particularly relevant to the analysis of natural language comparatives. In this talk I will explain some correspondences. A second part of the talk will deal with interadjectives comparatives. It turns out that the way to deal with those is closely related with the way to deal with comparing interpersonal utilities in social choice theory.







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