Mirko Engler

This paper develops an axiomatic framework for a non-referential theory of meaning by formally characterizing intra-theoretical synonymy through inferential and syntactic criteria rather than through reference or truth conditions. Building on formalist and inferentialist traditions, a series of axioms are proposed that satisfy basic semantic principles such as theory-dependence, semantic holism, and (restricted) compositionality. The resulting systems (TS 0 and its extensions) satisfy these principles to progressively greater degrees, yielding a sufficiently fine-grained notion of synonymy. The framework thus shows that equality of meaning can be characterized in non-referential terms, while illuminating the limits of non-referential meaning.