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From: rapaport@sunybcs.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.ai,sci.lang
Subject: SUNY Buffalo Cognitive/Linguistic Sciences: G. Carlson
Message-ID: <6646@sunybcs.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 19-Nov-87 09:52:34 EST
Article-I.D.: sunybcs.6646
Posted: Thu Nov 19 09:52:34 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 21-Nov-87 14:38:28 EST
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Reply-To: rapaport@sunybcs.UUCP (William J. Rapaport)
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Xref: utgpu comp.ai:1080 sci.lang:1605


                         UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO
                      STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK

                     The Steering Committee of the

              GRADUATE STUDIES AND RESEARCH INITIATIVE IN

                   COGNITIVE AND LINGUISTIC SCIENCES

                                PRESENTS

                            GREG N. CARLSON

     Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
                        University of Rochester

                      THE STATUS OF THEMATIC ROLES

Thematic roles and similarly conceived entities have played a major part
in  the  development  of  theories of generative grammar.  Yet, there is
considerable doubt on a number of questions surrounding  them,  not  the
least  of  which  is  their standing in linguistic theory.  I will argue
that they should not be viewed as elements of a linguistic theory except
in  a  derivative  sense.  Rather, thematic roles should be construed as
semantic or conceptual elements  which  help  structure  the  domain  of
interpretation.   More  specifically,  thematic roles provide one of the
means by which events are individuated.  I present a view in which  this
organization serves to constrain verb meanings.

                       Tuesday, December 1, 1987
                               3:30 P.M.
                         Knox 4, Amherst Campus

There will also be an informal evening discussion at a time and place to
be  announced.   Call Bill Rapaport (Dept. of Computer Science, 636-3193
or 3181) for further information.