Bart Geurts: Common ground and normativity

Following Clark, I use the term “common ground” to refer to a system of iterative structures that enable social interaction in general and communication in particular. The common ground includes mutual beliefs and commitments, joint intentions, and joint attention. Everything in common ground is essentially public, and I argue that it is essentially normative, too. Focusing on common ground structures defined in terms of belief, acceptance (Stalnaker), and commitment, I outline a general theory of commitment that unifies these structures.