ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the semantic component of contextualism, and more specifically with the proposal that 'knows' has a semantic function similar to a universal quantifier. It provides a summary of the view and describes some of the motivation for taking this route in the defence of 'knows' as context-sensitive. The chapter also focuses on some of the major criticisms of the view as given by Stanley and Schaffer and Szabo. The relevant constraints are as follows: Regarding the first constraint, Shaffer and Szabo argue that linguistic evidence suggests that speakers display a consistent inability to track A-quantifiers across contexts in the manner highlighted by the arguments from homophonic reporting, disagreement, and semantic ignorance. Regarding the second constraint, Schaffer and Szabo argue that the model of quantification is also immune to the argument from the lack of a nominal expression. The chapter provides an overview of the most prominent replies to the criticisms.
