Speaker: Viola Schmitt (MIT/Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin)
Title: Possible worlds and ontological symmetry
Time: Thursday, May 9th, 12:30pm – 2pm
Location: 32-D461
Abstract: The main point of this talk is a negative claim: I will argue that possible worlds differ from other objects via which construct meanings in terms (i) reference and (ii) plurality formation (i.e.., contra ontological symmetry, Schlenker 2006). Based on this claim, I will outline a puzzle, namely, why worlds should be constrained in this way and why in the modal part of the language quantification is seemingly dissociated from reference and plurality formation.