The Predicate Calculus -- and Grice

Kramer writes:

"[H]ow can you say she's a well-known lesbian if you don't allow folks to say that they know she's a lesbian? (cfr. She's a well-known lesbian but I don't know that she's a lesbian)."

----

It all started on April 6th, when Kramer quoted me,

"Judith Butler, a well-known lesbian"

and commented:

"in English-L, we would need to say
that she was well-known to be a lesbian."

-----

So let's check the scenario, because Kramer also wants to say that

"Y, a well-known X"

is 'appropriae,' only, in a context where (his comment on "A Not So Well Known Gricean"

"X [is]

"a well-known exemplar
of the most relevant thing
to the utterer's recipient or
addresse, at this stage of the conversation,
that X is well-known to be"

Y.

And he was objecting that, for all he knew, he (Kramer) was not such (a recipient, or addressee). But I wonder if I was having Kramer in mind, when I wrote what I wrote. I do have Kramer in mind 98% of the times I utter things (especially in this blog) but perhaps that was an exception. I suppose Kramer will not BUY the argument that, as Grice writes, "one's addressee is, sometimes, oneself".

"Surely," Kramer may object, you 'knew' or puported to 'know' that Butler was a lesbian, so why would you care with a prolixic definite description like that?"

----

So let's revise as to whether the sexual orientation (same-sex, as it happens) of Butler is relevant. She writes:

"In some societies, a lesbian is not regarded as a woman -- at all".

The point was also observed by Lourdes -- Madonna's daughter. "Some people don't regard me as a woman at all", he complained to her mother. "That's because you are a girl, Lou".

"But then -- you are not, and you tour with those stupid shows like "sweet and sticky and the 'girlie' show, so you confuse me."

"Should I confuse you less if I told you I were a lesbian?"

"Everybody knows that!"