Scope of negation with 〜したくない


In English, we can distinguish between **not wanting** to do something, and
**wanting to not** do something. It's not a distinction that we usually make,
but it is possible:

[code]

    P = "do anything"
    
    A. "I want to **not** do anything."    　 WANT(NOT(P))
    B. "I **don't** want to do anything."　   NOT(WANT(P))    
[/code]

The first sentence means `WANT(NOT(P))` _"I want to do nothing"_.

The second sentence literally means `NOT(WANT(P))` _"I lack the desire to do
anything"_ , but by implication it usually also means `WANT(NOT(P))` _"I want
to do nothing"_. Since this is just an implication, it's possible for it to be
cancelled in certain contexts.

* * *

I was wondering if something similar is true of `〜したくない`. Take a look at this
sentence:

> 何もしたくない。

I think this usually means `WANT(NOT(P))` _"I want to do nothing"_. But is it
possible for it to mean `NOT(WANT(P))` _"I lack the desire to do anything"_ as
well?

Can 何もしたくない have either meaning?




The negative form …したくない means “WANT(NOT(…)).” For example, 山に登りたくない means the
speaker wants to avoid climbing a mountain.

To express “NOT(WANT(…)),” we have to use other constructs such as
山に登りたいのではない.

Compare the following examples.

  1. 竜とは **戦いたくない** が、姫を助ける方法はほかにない。
  2. 竜と **戦いたいわけではない** が、姫を助ける方法はほかにない。

In the first example, the speaker wants to avoid fighting against the dragon.
In the second example, the speaker is just saying that it is not that he/she
wants to fight against the dragon.

Your notation related to P = “do anything” is ambiguous because it does not
specify how the negation interacts with the quantifier implicit in word
_anything_. To avoid this, we should make the quantifier explicit. Then
何もしたくない means ∀x. WANT(NOT(do x)), that is, the speaker wants to be free from
all actions.




The negative form …したくない means “WANT(NOT(…)).” For example, 山に登りたくない means the
speaker wants to avoid climbing a mountain.

To express “NOT(WANT(…)),” we have to use other constructs such as
山に登りたいのではない.

Compare the following examples.

  1. 竜とは **戦いたくない** が、姫を助ける方法はほかにない。
  2. 竜と **戦いたいわけではない** が、姫を助ける方法はほかにない。

In the first example, the speaker wants to avoid fighting against the dragon.
In the second example, the speaker is just saying that it is not that he/she
wants to fight against the dragon.

Your notation related to P = “do anything” is ambiguous because it does not
specify how the negation interacts with the quantifier implicit in word
_anything_. To avoid this, we should make the quantifier explicit. Then
何もしたくない means ∀x. WANT(NOT(do x)), that is, the speaker wants to be free from
all actions.

