Introduction

The phenomenon of disagreement is not only a pervasive trait of contemporary society but also the subject matter of vibrant debates in philosophy. Within philosophy, there are two broad branches of research where the generic phenomenon of disagreement is being studied: epistemology and philosophy of language. The branch of epistemology asks: what is the rationally correct response to a disagreement with peers? The branch of philosophy of language concerns itself with semantic questions in connection to disagreement and, more generally, with the very nature of this phenomenon. This book relates the epistemological discourse to those semantic issues. By doing this, it seeks to demonstrate that the interpersonal assessment and specification of a disagreement entail epistemic elements bearing on the rational implications of peer disagreement, and on the possibilities of resolving disagreement.