Proof-Theoretic Foundations of Intensional Semantics. Counterfactuals of belief and knowledge

• Applicant: Dr. Bartosz Wieckowski
• Subject Area: Theoretical Philosophy
• Term: from 2016 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 319239199

Contemporary intensional semantics rests on model-theoretic foundations. The overall scientific objective of the project is to contribute to the development of proof-theoretic foundations for intensional semantics and to explore the logical, semantic, and philosophical fruitfulness of the contribution. The renewal of this project aims at developing a proof-theoretic semantics for counterfactuals of the form 'If it were the case that A, then it would be the case that B' which are central to ordinary and scientific counterfactual reasoning. The semantics is to be in agreement with an intuitionistic conception of truth as provability. Moreover, it is to be autarkic with respect to its foundations. Specifically, it should not rest on a proof system that is defined on the basis of a model-theoretic semantics. Given the fact that the logic and semantics of counterfactuals is currently almost exclusively studied in terms of formal systems which extend or presuppose classical logic, the project enters an almost unexplored area. Building on previous work, the focus will be confined to constructions which combine counterfactual conditionals with the intensional attitude verbs 'believe' and 'know'.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants