Meaningful Games
Exploring Language with Game Theory
Published on 19. September 2023
Book
Paperback/Softback
376 pages
978-0-262-54918-9 (ISBN)
Description
An engaging introduction to the use of game theory to study lingistic meaning.
In Meaningful Games, Robin Clark explains in an accessible manner the usefulness of game theory in thinking about a wide range of issues in linguistics. Clark argues that we use grammar strategically to signal our intended meanings: our choices as speaker are conditioned by what choices the hearer will make interpreting what we say. Game theory—according to which the outcome of a decision depends on the choices of others—provides a formal system that allows us to develop theories about the kind of decision making that is crucial to understanding linguistic behavior.
Clark argues the only way to understand meaning is to grapple with its social nature—that it is the social that gives content to our mental lives. Game theory gives us a framework for working out these ideas. The resulting theory of use will allow us to account for many aspects of linguistic meaning, and the grammar itself can be simplified. The results are nevertheless precise and subject to empirical testing.
Meaningful Games offers an engaging and accessible introduction to game theory and the study of linguistic meaning. No knowledge of mathematics beyond simple algebra is required; formal definitions appear in special boxes outside the main text. The book includes an extended argument in favor of the social basis of meaning; a brief introduction to game theory, with a focus on coordination games and cooperation; discussions of common knowledge and games of partial information; models of games for pronouns and politeness; and the development of a system of social coordination of reference.
In Meaningful Games, Robin Clark explains in an accessible manner the usefulness of game theory in thinking about a wide range of issues in linguistics. Clark argues that we use grammar strategically to signal our intended meanings: our choices as speaker are conditioned by what choices the hearer will make interpreting what we say. Game theory—according to which the outcome of a decision depends on the choices of others—provides a formal system that allows us to develop theories about the kind of decision making that is crucial to understanding linguistic behavior.
Clark argues the only way to understand meaning is to grapple with its social nature—that it is the social that gives content to our mental lives. Game theory gives us a framework for working out these ideas. The resulting theory of use will allow us to account for many aspects of linguistic meaning, and the grammar itself can be simplified. The results are nevertheless precise and subject to empirical testing.
Meaningful Games offers an engaging and accessible introduction to game theory and the study of linguistic meaning. No knowledge of mathematics beyond simple algebra is required; formal definitions appear in special boxes outside the main text. The book includes an extended argument in favor of the social basis of meaning; a brief introduction to game theory, with a focus on coordination games and cooperation; discussions of common knowledge and games of partial information; models of games for pronouns and politeness; and the development of a system of social coordination of reference.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge (Massachusetts)
United States
Publishing group
MIT Press Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Interest Age: From 18 years
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
47 B&W ILLUS.
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
541 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-262-54918-9 (9780262549189)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Content
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xvii
I THE SOCIAL SIDE OF MEANING
1 Platonic Heaven 3
The Puzzle of Reference 3
Use, Mention, and Truth 4
The Language of Thought 7
Concepts, Mentalese, and the Informational Universe 10
Language and the World 12
Platonic Heaven in a Box 13
Inferences and Mentalese 16
Further Reading 18
2 My Fall from Platonic Heaven 21
Phrase Structure Grammar 21
Grammar and Compositionality 23
Thinking and Computing 25
The Heaven in Your Head 28
Brains in SUVs 30
Symbols and Proofs 31
Into the Chinese Room 36
The Social Nature of Intention 38
The Excesses of Youth 39
Further Reading 41
3 Meaning and the Social Contract 43
Choice and Meaning 43
Internal Predicates and External Behavior 44
Public Knowledge 46
The Economics of Meaning 50
Physical Computation and Social Computation 53
The Sociolinguistics of Meaning 55
Further Reading 58
II GAMES AND TRUTH
4 A Primer on Games 63
The Cake Game 69
Sequential Games and Backward Induction 75
The Holmes Moriarty Game 80
‘‘Ideal Free’’ Ducks and Mixed Strategy Nash Equilibria 85
Mixed Strategy Nash Equilibria and Language Variation 88
Coordination Games 89
The Prisoner’s Dilemma 93
Cooperation: The Stag Hunt 98
Evolutionary Games 106
Case Marking Systems 112
Further Reading 122
5 A Game Logic for Natural Language 125
The Tale of Abe´lard and Eloı¨se 128
Syntax 129
Games and Models 137
Atomic Sentences 137
Negation 140
Logical Connectives 142
The Aristotelian Square of Opposition 150
Prospects 172
Ambiguity 172
Monotonicity 173
Compositionality 174
Limitations 176
Further Reading 177
III GAMES AND THE WORLD
6 Common Knowledge 181
Coordinated Attack 182
Definite Descriptions and the Mutual Knowledge Paradox 183
Common Knowledge and Bounded Rationality 191
Miscommunication 199
Presuppositions and Accommodation 204
Reconciling the Assumptions 212
Further Reading 212
7 Lexical Games 215
Games for Finding Words 215
Orderly Communication and Utility 221
Playing the Odds 226
Clues from the Context 229
Back to Descriptions and Common Knowledge 232
Equilibrium Selection and Implicature 234
Down the Garden Path 237
Further Reading 242
8 Two Examples: Pronouns and Politeness 245
Discourse Pronouns 245
Politeness, Power, and Implicature 263
On Game Theoretic Analysis 279
Further Reading 280
9 The Social Ecology of Meaning 283
Games and Prototypes 285
Metrics, Central Tendencies, and Focal Points 289
Semantic Landscapes and Meaning Niches 301
Semantic Hierarchies and Defaults 309
Homophones and Polysemy 314
Into the Artificial World 321
Further Reading 327
Notes 329
References 333
Index 345
Acknowledgments xvii
I THE SOCIAL SIDE OF MEANING
1 Platonic Heaven 3
The Puzzle of Reference 3
Use, Mention, and Truth 4
The Language of Thought 7
Concepts, Mentalese, and the Informational Universe 10
Language and the World 12
Platonic Heaven in a Box 13
Inferences and Mentalese 16
Further Reading 18
2 My Fall from Platonic Heaven 21
Phrase Structure Grammar 21
Grammar and Compositionality 23
Thinking and Computing 25
The Heaven in Your Head 28
Brains in SUVs 30
Symbols and Proofs 31
Into the Chinese Room 36
The Social Nature of Intention 38
The Excesses of Youth 39
Further Reading 41
3 Meaning and the Social Contract 43
Choice and Meaning 43
Internal Predicates and External Behavior 44
Public Knowledge 46
The Economics of Meaning 50
Physical Computation and Social Computation 53
The Sociolinguistics of Meaning 55
Further Reading 58
II GAMES AND TRUTH
4 A Primer on Games 63
The Cake Game 69
Sequential Games and Backward Induction 75
The Holmes Moriarty Game 80
‘‘Ideal Free’’ Ducks and Mixed Strategy Nash Equilibria 85
Mixed Strategy Nash Equilibria and Language Variation 88
Coordination Games 89
The Prisoner’s Dilemma 93
Cooperation: The Stag Hunt 98
Evolutionary Games 106
Case Marking Systems 112
Further Reading 122
5 A Game Logic for Natural Language 125
The Tale of Abe´lard and Eloı¨se 128
Syntax 129
Games and Models 137
Atomic Sentences 137
Negation 140
Logical Connectives 142
The Aristotelian Square of Opposition 150
Prospects 172
Ambiguity 172
Monotonicity 173
Compositionality 174
Limitations 176
Further Reading 177
III GAMES AND THE WORLD
6 Common Knowledge 181
Coordinated Attack 182
Definite Descriptions and the Mutual Knowledge Paradox 183
Common Knowledge and Bounded Rationality 191
Miscommunication 199
Presuppositions and Accommodation 204
Reconciling the Assumptions 212
Further Reading 212
7 Lexical Games 215
Games for Finding Words 215
Orderly Communication and Utility 221
Playing the Odds 226
Clues from the Context 229
Back to Descriptions and Common Knowledge 232
Equilibrium Selection and Implicature 234
Down the Garden Path 237
Further Reading 242
8 Two Examples: Pronouns and Politeness 245
Discourse Pronouns 245
Politeness, Power, and Implicature 263
On Game Theoretic Analysis 279
Further Reading 280
9 The Social Ecology of Meaning 283
Games and Prototypes 285
Metrics, Central Tendencies, and Focal Points 289
Semantic Landscapes and Meaning Niches 301
Semantic Hierarchies and Defaults 309
Homophones and Polysemy 314
Into the Artificial World 321
Further Reading 327
Notes 329
References 333
Index 345