Discourse context and indexicality

Problems related to indexicality, such as Sidelle's Answering Machine Paradox, have been problematic for direct reference theorists. The solutions suggested to date are not wholly satisfactory. I suggest that the correct solution requires an account of context shifting in natural language. However, existing context shifting accounts assume that context shifting is a purely semantic, operator-governed mechanism. This view has trouble dealing with so-called 'free shifts', such as the answering machine problem. I discuss these approaches and sketch a new account in terms of discourse context, which should be viewed as a pragmatic feature.