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Luiz Carlos Baptista

E-mail: lucabaptista@fcsh.unl.pt

Current Professional Status: Postdoctoral researcher at Instituto de Filosofia da Linguagem, with a grant by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT).

My name is Luiz Carlos (Luca) Baptista. At the moment I am working on a book called What is Said, to be published by Palgrave Macmillan, as well as co-editing (with my colleague Franck Lihoreau) the book Fiction in Philosophy, to be published by Ontos Verlag.

I was a visiting fellow at the Institute of Philosophy, University of London, in September 2006 and in October-November 2007.

I am a founding member of the Portuguese Society for Analytic Philosophy and a member of the European Society for Analytic Philosophy.

My PhD thesis (Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2004) is called “A Fragilidade da Experiência: Erving Goffman e os Quadros da Interacção” (“The Fragility of Experience: Erving Goffman and the Frames of Interaction”). The thesis establishes a link between Social and Cognitive Sciences, using Relevance Theory to discuss the concept of “frame”, as proposed by the sociologist Erving Goffman. The thesis was unanimously approved with the highest grade and recommendation of publication. I hope to publish it someday.

If it weren’t for my wife Teresa and our children, Sofia and Filipe, I wouldn’t be here (nor there or anywhere).

current research interests

The metaphysical, semantic and pragmatic issues related to fiction. I am particularly interested in the idea of "interacting with fiction" in video games.
The philosophy (especially the metaphysics) of software (a consequence of my interest in video games).
The study of communication/information media as “cognitive technologies” and how they relate to human cognitive processes.
The troublesome Gricean notion of “what is said”.
The notion of “evocation” in human communication.

ongoing research projects

I am currently working on the philosophy of software and of "interactive fiction" as in video games, which raise a host of metaphysical questions.
I am part of the team working on the research project “Context and Communication” (PTDC/FIL/68643/2006), funded by FCT. I am also the research leader of the project "Intentions and Conventions", funded by IFL.

recent publications:

Books

What is Said. Forthcoming, Palgrave Macmillan.
Fiction in Philosophy (co-edited with Franck Lihoreau). Forthcoming, Ontos Verlag.
Donald Davidson: Verdade, Mente e Acção (co-edited with João Fonseca and João Sàágua). Forthcoming, Lisboa, Editora Colibri.

Papers

2005:“Lowering the epistemic bar: notes on the concept of ‘cognitive environment'", Cadernos de Filosofia, nº 17.
2003:“Framing and Cognition”, in Treviño, A. Javier (ed.), Goffman’s Legacy. Lanham (MD): Rowman & Littlefield.

recent lectures

February 20, 2008: “‘Making as if to say’ as make-believe”. Philosophy of Language Institute, New University of Lisbon, Portugal.
October 25, 2007: “Making as if to say”. Institute of Philosophy, University of London.
May 24, 2007: “What is Said”. Seminar Advanced Studies on Communication, Language and Cognition. Philosophy of Language Institute, New University of Lisbon, Portugal.
December 22, 2006. “Say what? Getting rid of ‘what is said’”. Oficina de Filosofia Analítica. Sociedade Portuguesa de Filosofia, Lisbon, Portugal.
December 2, 2006: "Concluding remarks” in the I Workshop on the Pragmatics of Poetic Communication. University of London Institute in Paris, France.
June 4, 2006. “Troubles with ‘what is said’”. ENFA 3 (National Meeting for Analytic Philosophy). University of Lisbon, Portugal.
June 2, 2006. “Say what? Getting rid of ‘what is said’”. International Workshop on Explicit Communication. University of Granada, Spain. [pdf, 144 KB]
November 10, 2005: “Evocative Communication”. SPR-05 (Third International Workshop on Semantics, Pragmatics and Rhetoric). University of the Basque Country, Donostia/San Sebastián, Spain. [pdf, 248 KB]
August 28, 2005. “Evocative Utterances”. ECAP 5 (Fifth European Congress for Analytic Philosophy). University of Lisbon, Portugal.
June 25, 2005. “The Mind Outside the Head: Media Ecology and Cognitive Science”. VI Annual Convention of the Media Ecology Association. Fordham University, New York, United States.
June 6, 2005. “Evocative Utterances”. International Workshop on Meaning and Communication. Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, New University of Lisbon, Portugal.
May 13, 2005. “Mental Tools”. Conference cycle Communication, Language and Cognition. Philosophy of Language Institute, New University of Lisbon, Portugal.
March 4, 2005. “Insensitive Semantics”. Philosophy of Language Institute, New University of Lisbon, Portugal.
December 3, 2004. “Cognitive Technologies”. International Workshop Strategic Communication: An Interdisciplinary Approach. Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, New University of Lisbon, Portugal.