ABSTRACT
This chapter develops a model of discourse structure that is able to represent the structure and process of communication that is outlined in the preceding chapter. This model draws on Stalnaker’s work in formal pragmatic theory, while rejecting the idealizations that grew out of his conception of language as cooperative information exchange. The model proposed in this chapter represents each conversation—even each utterance—as potentially aimed at a variety of goals, which need not be shared. These goals are aimed at updating a variety of information sets, which need not be shared. Finally, these information sets are individuated by a variety of fine-grained mental states. The chapter demonstrates ways in which this account is able to overcome problems faced by the idealized Stalnakerian model.
