Deontic Modality vs.

Epistemic Modality
November 4, 2009 Erik Silkensen

Realis-Irrealis Continuum
a proposition is strongly asserted to be true a proposition is weakly asserted to be true

probability (epistemic), deontic

(Crystal 386) (Payne 244)

Deontic Modality
Etymology: Greek deont-, deon that which is obligatory

expresses the subjects duty or obligation to perform the irrealis act expressed by the verb I have to earn a million dollars this year. We should send out a Christmas letter. There ought to be a law. They must have dinner with us.
(Payne 246)

Epistemic Modality
Etymology: Greek epistm knowledge

has to do with the speakers degree of commitment to the truth of the proposition They must have left already. They will have left already. They should have left by now. They might have left by now.
(Payne 246)

Deontic (obligation)
They must have dinner with us. We should send out a Christmas letter.

Epistemic (probability)
They must have left already. They should have left by now.

must and should in English have both an epistemic and deontic sense
(Payne 246)

Other interesting things?

Deontic and epistemic are terms from modal logic, which has applications in philosophy, computer science, and linguistics!
Epistemic Deontic
OA " it is obligatory that A PA " it is permitted that A FA " it is forbidden that A

K c A " agent c knows A Bc A " agent c believes A

K c A "K c K c A
!

O(A "B) "(OA "OB) FA # OA # PA

!

K c K c A "K c K c A K c (K c A "K c A#) $ K c (K c A# "K c A)

(Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

Clicker Question
Elliott must have missed the lecture on deontic modality; he should go see the professor during oce hours. What modality do must and should express in this sentence, respectively?

A. deontic, deontic B. deontic, epistemic C. epistemic, deontic D. epistemic, epistemic