Quantifiers

Hintikka and Frege on quantification concepts

Maria J. Frápolli

Neftalí Villanueva

pp. 279-298

in: Hans van Ditmarsch, Paul-Gabriel Sandu (eds), Jaakko Hintikka on knowledge and game-theoretical semantics, Berlin, Springer, 2018

Abstract

Hintikka's semantic approach to meaning, a development of Wittgenstein's view of meaning as use, is the general theme of this chapter. We will focus on the analysis of quantified sentences and on the scope of the principle of compositionality and compare Hintikka's take on these issues with that of Frege. The aim of this paper is to show that Hintikka's analysis of quantified expressions as choice functions, in spite of its obvious dissimilarities with respect to the higher-order approach, is actually very close to the Fregean stance on compositionality and context dependence. In particular, we will defend that the Fregean approach to quantifiers is unavoidably linked to the idea that quantified expressions are context-dependent, and therefore should not be conceived under the traditional inside-out model for analysis.

Cited authors

Frege Gottlob

Wittgenstein Ludwig

Hintikka Jaakko