The Conditional Analysis of the Agentive Modals: a Reply to Mandelkern et al

Area of Science:

• Philosophy of Language
• Metaphysics
• Epistemology

Background:

• Agentive modals are crucial for understanding concepts like free will and know-how.
• Conditional analyses of agentive modals have faced significant objections, notably the Lehrer-Chisholm objection.
• Previous accounts, including Mandelkern et al.'s, have attempted to address these challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify a constraint and structural feature of trying-based conditional analyses of agentive modals.
• To provide a novel explanation for the Lehrer-Chisholm objection's effectiveness.
• To critique Mandelkern et al.'s specific conditional analysis and identify further issues.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of trying-based conditional analyses of agentive modals.
• Examination of the Lehrer-Chisholm objection in the context of ability modals.
• Critique of Mandelkern et al.'s 'Agentive Modals' (2017) account.

Main Results:

• Identification of a specific constraint and structural feature in trying-based conditional analyses.
• A novel account explaining the power of the Lehrer-Chisholm objection.
• Demonstration that Mandelkern et al.'s account does not avoid this problem.
• Identification of two additional problems with Mandelkern et al.'s account.

Conclusions:

• The identified constraint and feature offer a new perspective on objections to conditional analyses of agentive modals.
• Mandelkern et al.'s account faces significant challenges that require further refinement.
• Any successful semantic analysis of agentive modals must satisfy a set of defined criteria.