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190808

A fuzzy logic approach to non-scalar hedges

Stephan van der Waart van Gulik

pp. 233-248

Abstract

In (Journal of Philosophical Logic, 2: 458–508, 1973), George Lakoff proposes a fuzzy semantics for the non-scalar hedges technically, strictly speaking, and loosely speaking. These hedges are able to modify the meaning of a predicate. However, Lakoff's proposal is problematic. For example, his semantics only contains interpretations for hedged predicates using semantic information provided by selection functions. What kind of information these functions should provide for non-hedged predicates remains unspecified. This paper presents a solution for this deficit and other problems by means of a generic first-order fuzzy logic FL h . A wide range of fuzzy logics can be used as a basis for FL h . Next to a fully specified semantics, this solution also incorporates a proof theory for reasoning with these hedges. FL h makes use of a special set of selection functions. These functions collect the kind of information a reasoner can retrieve from concepts in his or her memory when interpreting a (non-)hedged predicate. Despite this non-standard element, FL h remains a conservative modification of its underlying fuzzy logic.

Publication details

Published in:

Makinson David, Malinowski Jacek, Wansing Heinrich (2009) Towards mathematical philosophy: papers from the Studia logica conference Trends in logic IV. Dordrecht, Springer.

Pages: 233-248

DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4020-9084-4_12

Full citation:

van der Waart van Gulik Stephan (2009) „A fuzzy logic approach to non-scalar hedges“, In: D. Makinson, J. Malinowski & H. Wansing (eds.), Towards mathematical philosophy, Dordrecht, Springer, 233–248.