Sobel序列和逆Sobel序列——如何应对它们给反事实条件句理论带来的困境

Sobel Sequences and Reverse Sobel Sequences——How to Deal with the Dilemmas They Bring to Theories of Counterfactuals

反事实条件句的常严格蕴含分析和变严格蕴含分析遇到了Sobel序列和逆Sobel序列带来的理论困境:常严格蕴含分析不能解释Sobel序列的合理性,而变严格蕴含分析不能解释逆Sobel序列的不合理性。为应对该理论困境,常严格蕴含分析的拥护者采用了动态语义,变严格蕴含分析的拥护者采用了认知不负责原则。然而,文章认为解决问题的关键不是如何使得反事实条件句的辖域具有单向性,而是找出句子序列的深层形式。在变严格蕴含分析的框架下通过辅以Grice语用原则,文章表明句子序列中Sa和Rb的深层形式均为(A∧￢B)>C,Sobel序列和逆Sobel序列均为合理的句子序列,进而消除了它们带来的理论困境。

Constantly strict analysis and variably strict analysis of counterfactuals have encountered theoretical dilemmas brought by Sobel sequences and reverse Sobel sequences:constantly strict analysis can’t explain the felicity of Sobel sequences,while variably strict analysis can’t explain the infelicity of reverse Sobel sequences.To solve these dilemmas,advocates of constantly strict analysis adopt dynamic semantics,and advocates of variably strict analysis adopt the principle of epistemic irresponsibility.But the key to solving the problems is not to make counterfactuals’domains unidirectional,but to find the deep forms of those sequences.Under the framework of variably strict analysis,with the help of Grice’s pragmatic principles,this article shows that the deep forms of Sa and Rb in those sequences are both(A∧B)>C,both Sobel sequences and reverse Sobel sequences are felicitous sequences,thereby dissolving the dilemmas brought by them.