Argument selection by inclusion

Following Grimm and Davis and Koenig, subject selection compares the Proto-Agent and Proto-Patient parts of two profiles by inclusion rather than by count: an argument outranks another for subjecthood when its Proto-Agent entailments strictly include the other's, and Proto-Patient inclusion decides when neither Proto-Agent part strictly includes the other. Dowty's own principle, which counts the parts, is in Studies/Dowty1991.lean.

Main definitions

• OutranksForSubject: the Argument Selection Principle by inclusion.

References

• [Gri11]
• [DK00b]
• [Dow91]

def ArgumentStructure.OutranksForSubject (subj obj : EntailmentProfile) : Prop

The Argument Selection Principle by inclusion ([Gri11], [DK00b]): subj outranks obj for subjecthood when its Proto-Agent entailments strictly include obj's, or when neither Proto-Agent part strictly includes the other and obj's Proto-Patient entailments strictly include subj's. Causation priority is structural: {causation, independentExistence} strictly includes {independentExistence} yet is incomparable with {sentience, independentExistence}.

Equations

• ArgumentStructure.OutranksForSubject subj obj = (obj.protoAgent ⊂ subj.protoAgent ∨ ¬subj.protoAgent ⊂ obj.protoAgent ∧ subj.protoPatient ⊂ obj.protoPatient)

@[instance_reducible]

instance ArgumentStructure.instDecidableOutranksForSubject (subj obj : EntailmentProfile) : Decidable (OutranksForSubject subj obj)

Equations

• ArgumentStructure.instDecidableOutranksForSubject subj obj = id inferInstance