Margin for error semantics and signal perception

David Spector (1, 2)

1 PSE - Paris-Jourdan Sciences Economiques
2 PSE - Paris School of Economics

A joint modelling of objective worlds and subjective perceptions within two-dimensional semantics eliminates the margin for error principle and solves the epistemic sorites paradox. Two objective knowledge modalities can be defined in two-dimensional frames accounting for subjective perceptions: "necessary knowledge" (NK) and "possible knowledge" (PK), the latter being better suited to the interpretation of knowledge utterances. Two-dimensional semantics can in some cases be reduced to one-dimensional ones, by defining accessibility relations between objective worlds that reflect subjective perceptions: NK and PK are respectively equivalent to □□ and ◊□ in some one-dimensional frame, and to □ and another modality in some other.

Mots clés: Margin for error; Sorites paradox; Intransitive frames; Positive introspection; Possible worlds semantics

Domaines: Economies et finances

David Spector. Margin for error semantics and signal perception. Synthese, 2013, 190 (15), pp.3247-3263. ⟨10.1007/s11229-012-0155-2⟩. ⟨halshs-00916622⟩