Abstract

LOSADA, Alfonso. Disagreements: semantics, pragmatics and existence. arete [online]. 2015, vol.27, n.2, pp.9-28. ISSN 1016-913X.

In this article, we defend the existence of disagreements in areas of discourse that involve an agent’s perspective, as the semantic theory known as "Radical Relativism" puts it. In the face of the idea that such disagreements exist and can only be explained by a radical relativist semantics, contextualist theorists have offered arguments to deny their existence or to provide an explanation of them which does not imply departing from the standard semantic theory. These arguments will be our target of criticism. We raise the debate in terms of the distinction between semantic and pragmatic aspects of disagreement, and we defend a simple vision of disagree ment, which we believe the relativist must have in mind if he wants to argue that disagreements belonging to areas that involve an agent’s perspective can count as evidence in his favor.

Keywords : disagreements; relativism; contextualism; attitudes; content.

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