The Empirical Semantics of Key Terms, Phrases and Sentences

Abstract

The author gives examples of results obtained using an approach to pragmatics which in the 50's and later has been called 'empirical semantics'. it makes use of interviews, questionnaires and experiments and focus on key expressions such as 'truth', fact', 'democracy', 'private enterprise'. it also makes use of systematic analysis of occurrences of key terms in texts such as spinoza's "ethics". it is the contention of the author that the approach deserves to be applied more often in studies of communication.