Intentions are an important concept in Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Science. We present a formal theory of intentions...

The first topic of the paper is to provide a formalization of the principle of compositionality of meaning. A mathematical model (based upon universal algebra) is presented, and its properties are investigated. The second topic is to discuss arguments from the literature against compositionality (of Hintikka, Higginbotham, Pelletier, Partee, Schiffer and others). Methods are presented that help to obtain compositionality. It is argued that the principle is should not be considered an empirical verifyable restriction, but a methodological principle that describes how a system for syntax and semantics should be designed. The paper has an appendix by B. Partee on the compositional treatment of genitives.

China, Chinese scholars began to read your compilation entitled Montague Grammar. Since then, as the first international scholar who introduced Montague Grammar, on which formal semantics is based, you have established a reputation among Chinese scholars. Unfortunately, however, they still know little about the stories behind your experience. As far as I know, you obtained your Bachelor degree in mathematics, then turned to study syntactic theories in your doctoral program under the supervision of Noam Chomsky, before changing your research interest once again toward formal semantics, which was heavily based on modern logic. What led you to adjust your research orientations? Partee: I benefited from the American tradition of “liberal arts ” in undergraduate education, which allowed me to study philosophy and Russian (and other things besides) while majoring in mathematics; I really liked mathematics and languages both very much, and was excited when I discovered the existence of the field of linguistics, which under the new direction Chomsky had given it looked like a good field for my combination of interests, which it certainly was. And I was also lucky