The Principle of Semantic Compositionality

The Principle of Semantic Compositionality is the principle that the meaning of an expression is a function of, and only of, the meanings of its parts together with the method by which those parts are combined. As stated, the Principle is vague or underspecified at a number of points such as “what counts as a part,” “what is a meaning,” “what kind of function is allowed,” and the like. But this hasn’t stopped some people from treating it as an obviously true principle, true almost by definition, nor has it stopped some others from attacking it both on “empirical grounds” and on theoretico-methodological grounds.

Epistemology · Expression (computer science) · Function (biology) · Linguistics · Meaning (existential) · Principle of compositionality · Programming language · Semantic property · Classical Philosophy and Thought · Computer Science · Mathematics · Philosophy · Philosophy, Science, and History