A computational treatment of generalized reference

Abstract

Purpose: Medieval logic defined reference as a relation between language and objects in the world. Recently, however, the term ``representational token'' has been used instead of language (Reimer and Michaelson in The stanford encyclopedia of philosophy: winter 2014 edition. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/reference/, 2014). This allows for reference with and without language. In a similar vein, Database Semantics (DBS) has implemented concept-based reference as a matching between two contents. If a content is attached to a language surface it is called the literal meaning1 of the surface. Methods: Referring with a content (as a representational token), regardless of whether or not it is attached to a surface, leads to a generalized notion of reference. An example of reference without language is identifying a current nonlanguage recognition with something seen before. Another example is identifying a nonlanguage recognition with an earlier language content, e.g. something read (for example, in a guide book) or heard about. Results: In addition to the concept-based reference mechanism of (i) symbols [We follow the terminology used by Peirce (CP 2.228, 2.229, 5.473) for his theory of signs.] (“Reference by matching (symbol)” section), natural language uses the reference mechanisms of (ii) indexicals (“Reference by pointing (indexical)” section) based on pointers, and of (iii) names (“Reference by baptism (name)” section) based on acts of generalized baptism. A fourth kind of reference is co-reference (“Reference by address (coreference)” section), based on identity implemented by means of an address; it occurs as a variant of referring with indexicals and symbols, and is the foundation of name-based reference. Conclusions: This paper systematically reconstructs the mechanisms of reference as they function with and without language in an agent-based computational framework. Language-dependent surfaces play a role only in the automatic word form recognition of the hear mode and the automatic word form production of the speak mode. In conclusion, the agent-based reconstruction of reference is applied to the medieval distinction between de dicto and de re (“De dicto/de re” section).