The theory of thematic roles: reference and world view
Keywords:
Thematic roles, Reference theory, Intension and extension, IntentionalityAbstract
This paper deals with the nature of thematic roles theory, which was developed from the GB model (Chomsky 1981). Observing that: (1) the analysis based on thematic roles show discrepancies or gaps when compared; (2) the classification of some thematic roles presents difficult problems to be solved, we questioned why building an efficient descriptive theoretical instrument based on the concept of thematic roles is so difficult. Our answer to these difficulties lies on the fact that the lists of thematic roles presuppose a “realistic” vision of meaning, i.e., as a correspondence with the world. In our conception, we must assign the correct thematic role to an argument taking into account the manner as we cognitively conceive the facts occurring in the world.
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