Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
Week 9
Tyler Peterson
University of Auckland
May 18, 2017
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
(source: http://imgur.com/olPVL60)
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
“The problem of utterance interpretation is not dissimilar to this
visual miracle. An utterance is not, as it were, a verdical model or
‘snapshot’ of the scene it describes [. . . ]. Rather, an utterance is
just as sketchy as the Rembrandt drawing.”
(Levinson 2000)
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The gun is loaded
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The gun is loaded
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Describes a ‘thought’ about something
The gun is loaded has entailments: is loaded can be used and
reused to describe this same thought about any object that
happens to fit the description of gun (or anything else that can
be loaded )
This is the enatiled meaning The gun is loaded
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
“The gun is loaded.”
What happpens the meaning of this sentence in different contexts?
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
“The gun is loaded.”
What happpens the meaning of this sentence in different contexts?
▶
Threat
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
“The gun is loaded.”
What happpens the meaning of this sentence in different contexts?
▶
▶
Threat
Warning
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
“The gun is loaded.”
What happpens the meaning of this sentence in different contexts?
▶
▶
▶
Threat
Warning
Declaration
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
“The gun is loaded.”
What happpens the meaning of this sentence in different contexts?
▶
▶
▶
▶
Threat
Warning
Declaration
Description
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
“The gun is loaded.”
What happpens the meaning of this sentence in different contexts?
▶
▶
▶
▶
▶
Threat
Warning
Declaration
Description
Entreaty
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
“The gun is loaded.”
What happpens the meaning of this sentence in different contexts?
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▶
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Threat
Warning
Declaration
Description
Entreaty
Others?
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
Semantic and pragmatic meanings
▶
The gun is loaded means what it means: semantic meaning
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
Semantic and pragmatic meanings
▶
▶
The gun is loaded means what it means: semantic meaning
“The gun is loaded.” means what the speaker intends it to
mean, which is usually influenced or helped by the context of
utterance: pragmatic meaning
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
Semantic and pragmatic meanings
▶
▶
The gun is loaded means what it means: semantic meaning
“The gun is loaded.” means what the speaker intends it to
mean, which is usually influenced or helped by the context of
utterance: pragmatic meaning
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The bank: Threat
A hunting trip: Warning
Magic show: Declaration
Training: Description
Battefield: Entreaty
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
Semantic and pragmatic meanings
▶
▶
The gun is loaded means what it means: semantic meaning
“The gun is loaded.” means what the speaker intends it to
mean, which is usually influenced or helped by the context of
utterance: pragmatic meaning
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The bank: Threat
A hunting trip: Warning
Magic show: Declaration
Training: Description
Battefield: Entreaty
Pragmatic meaning can even make use of more than one of
these simultaneously
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
Questions and Goals
1. Where do these meanings come from?
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Are they entailed? Test it!
Are they presupposed? Test it!
Are they implicated? Test it!
2. Goal: to look at the predominant theory that can account for
these meanings
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Austin and Searle
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J.L. Austin (1930’s-50’s) formed the basic ideas; these were
developed by his student, John Searle (1960’s - present)
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Austin and Searle
▶
J.L. Austin (1930’s-50’s) formed the basic ideas; these were
developed by his student, John Searle (1960’s - present)
⋆ The utterance of a sentence is, or is part of, an action
within the framework of social institutions and
conventions
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Austin and Searle
▶
J.L. Austin (1930’s-50’s) formed the basic ideas; these were
developed by his student, John Searle (1960’s - present)
⋆ The utterance of a sentence is, or is part of, an action
within the framework of social institutions and
conventions
▶ In other words: saying is a part of doing, and words are a part of
deeds
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Logical Positivism and the Descriptive Fallacy
▶
The only (philosophically) interesting function of language is
that of making true or false statements
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Logical Positivism and the Descriptive Fallacy
▶
The only (philosophically) interesting function of language is
that of making true or false statements
Can’t evaluate it? Then it’s meaningless (verificational thesis):
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Logical Positivism and the Descriptive Fallacy
▶
The only (philosophically) interesting function of language is
that of making true or false statements
Can’t evaluate it? Then it’s meaningless (verificational thesis):
1. ‘Spanking your children is wrong.’
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Logical Positivism and the Descriptive Fallacy
▶
The only (philosophically) interesting function of language is
that of making true or false statements
Can’t evaluate it? Then it’s meaningless (verificational thesis):
1. ‘Spanking your children is wrong.’
2. ‘Hockey is better than rugby.’
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Logical Positivism and the Descriptive Fallacy
▶
The only (philosophically) interesting function of language is
that of making true or false statements
Can’t evaluate it? Then it’s meaningless (verificational thesis):
1. ‘Spanking your children is wrong.’
2. ‘Hockey is better than rugby.’
3. ‘Getting married and having children is better than having
children and getting married.’
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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.
. .
. .
.
Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Logical Positivism and the Descriptive Fallacy
▶
The only (philosophically) interesting function of language is
that of making true or false statements
Can’t evaluate it? Then it’s meaningless (verificational thesis):
1. ‘Spanking your children is wrong.’
2. ‘Hockey is better than rugby.’
3. ‘Getting married and having children is better than having
children and getting married.’
▶
Why are these meaningless?
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Logical Positivism and the Descriptive Fallacy
▶
The only (philosophically) interesting function of language is
that of making true or false statements
Can’t evaluate it? Then it’s meaningless (verificational thesis):
1. ‘Spanking your children is wrong.’
2. ‘Hockey is better than rugby.’
3. ‘Getting married and having children is better than having
children and getting married.’
▶
▶
Why are these meaningless?
Because they express subjective judgments.
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Performatives vs. Constantives
▶
Austin’s Speech Acts (1962). Two observations:
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Performatives vs. Constantives
▶
Austin’s Speech Acts (1962). Two observations:
1. The purpose of some sentences (non-declaratives) is not to
make a statement, therefore they cannot be evaluated for truth
or falsity:
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Performatives vs. Constantives
▶
Austin’s Speech Acts (1962). Two observations:
1. The purpose of some sentences (non-declaratives) is not to
make a statement, therefore they cannot be evaluated for truth
or falsity:
a. “Ciao!”
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Performatives vs. Constantives
▶
Austin’s Speech Acts (1962). Two observations:
1. The purpose of some sentences (non-declaratives) is not to
make a statement, therefore they cannot be evaluated for truth
or falsity:
a. “Ciao!”
b. “Am I late?”
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Performatives vs. Constantives
▶
Austin’s Speech Acts (1962). Two observations:
1. The purpose of some sentences (non-declaratives) is not to
make a statement, therefore they cannot be evaluated for truth
or falsity:
a. “Ciao!”
b. “Am I late?”
c. “Open the window, please.”
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Performatives vs. Constantives
▶
Austin’s Speech Acts (1962). Two observations:
1. The purpose of some sentences (non-declaratives) is not to
make a statement, therefore they cannot be evaluated for truth
or falsity:
a. “Ciao!”
b. “Am I late?”
c. “Open the window, please.”
2. Other declarative-type sentences resist description or thoughts
about things (semantic meanings): some sentences do things...
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Performatives vs. Constantives cont.
▶
Austin distinguished two different types of sentences:
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Performatives vs. Constantives cont.
▶
Austin distinguished two different types of sentences:
1. Performatives: are sentences used to do things or ‘perform
acts’:
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Performatives vs. Constantives cont.
▶
Austin distinguished two different types of sentences:
1. Performatives: are sentences used to do things or ‘perform
acts’:
a. ‘I christen this ship the The Black Pearl.’
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Performatives vs. Constantives cont.
▶
Austin distinguished two different types of sentences:
1. Performatives: are sentences used to do things or ‘perform
acts’:
a. ‘I christen this ship the The Black Pearl.’
b. ‘I now pronounce you husband and wife.’
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Performatives vs. Constantives cont.
▶
Austin distinguished two different types of sentences:
1. Performatives: are sentences used to do things or ‘perform
acts’:
a. ‘I christen this ship the The Black Pearl.’
b. ‘I now pronounce you husband and wife.’
c. ‘I sentence you to 10 years in prison.’
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Performatives vs. Constantives cont.
▶
Austin distinguished two different types of sentences:
1. Performatives: are sentences used to do things or ‘perform
acts’:
a.
b.
c.
d.
‘I
‘I
‘I
‘I
christen this ship the The Black Pearl.’
now pronounce you husband and wife.’
sentence you to 10 years in prison.’
promise to come to your talk tomorrow afternoon.’
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Performatives vs. Constantives cont.
▶
Austin distinguished two different types of sentences:
1. Performatives: are sentences used to do things or ‘perform
acts’:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
‘I
‘I
‘I
‘I
‘I
christen this ship the The Black Pearl.’
now pronounce you husband and wife.’
sentence you to 10 years in prison.’
promise to come to your talk tomorrow afternoon.’
command you to surrender immediately.’
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Performatives vs. Constantives cont.
▶
Austin distinguished two different types of sentences:
1. Performatives: are sentences used to do things or ‘perform
acts’:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
‘I
‘I
‘I
‘I
‘I
‘I
christen this ship the The Black Pearl.’
now pronounce you husband and wife.’
sentence you to 10 years in prison.’
promise to come to your talk tomorrow afternoon.’
command you to surrender immediately.’
apologize for being late.’
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Performatives vs. Constantives cont.
▶
Performative sentences have two features:
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Performatives vs. Constantives cont.
▶
Performative sentences have two features:
1. They don’t say anything true or false: their use constitutes an
action
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Performatives vs. Constantives cont.
▶
Performative sentences have two features:
1. They don’t say anything true or false: their use constitutes an
action
2. They use a performative verb (promise, christen, etc); these are
explicit performatives.
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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. .
. .
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Performatives vs. Constantives cont.
▶
Performative sentences have two features:
1. They don’t say anything true or false: their use constitutes an
action
2. They use a performative verb (promise, christen, etc); these are
explicit performatives.
Contrast these with implicit performatives:
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
.
.
.
.
. .
. .
.
Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Performatives vs. Constantives cont.
▶
Performative sentences have two features:
1. They don’t say anything true or false: their use constitutes an
action
2. They use a performative verb (promise, christen, etc); these are
explicit performatives.
Contrast these with implicit performatives:
a. “Ciao!”
b. “Am I late?”
c. “Open the window, please.”
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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.
.
.
. .
. .
.
Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Performatives vs. Constantives cont.
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. .
Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
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Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Performatives vs. Constantives cont.
2. Constantives: are sentences used to make assertions or
statements:
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Tyler Peterson
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LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
.
.
.
.
. .
. .
.
Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Performatives vs. Constantives cont.
2. Constantives: are sentences used to make assertions or
statements:
a. ‘My dog’s name is Sammyboy.’
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Tyler Peterson
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
.
.
.
.
. .
. .
.
Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Performatives vs. Constantives cont.
2. Constantives: are sentences used to make assertions or
statements:
a. ‘My dog’s name is Sammyboy.’
b. ‘It is currently 95 degrees outside.’
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. .
Tyler Peterson
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
.
.
.
.
. .
. .
.
Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Performatives vs. Constantives cont.
2. Constantives: are sentences used to make assertions or
statements:
a. ‘My dog’s name is Sammyboy.’
b. ‘It is currently 95 degrees outside.’
c. ‘UA beat NAU at hockey last week.’
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. .
Tyler Peterson
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
.
.
.
.
. .
. .
.
Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Felicity conditions on Performatives
▶
Austin: a number of felicity conditions on performatives must
be met for the successful use of a performative (a paraphrase):
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Tyler Peterson
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
.
.
.
.
. .
. .
.
Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Felicity conditions on Performatives
▶
Austin: a number of felicity conditions on performatives must
be met for the successful use of a performative (a paraphrase):
a. A conventional procedure must exists with a conventional effect
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Tyler Peterson
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
.
.
.
.
. .
. .
.
Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Felicity conditions on Performatives
▶
Austin: a number of felicity conditions on performatives must
be met for the successful use of a performative (a paraphrase):
a. A conventional procedure must exists with a conventional effect
b. The circumstances must be appropriate
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. .
Tyler Peterson
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
.
.
.
.
. .
. .
.
Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Felicity conditions on Performatives
▶
Austin: a number of felicity conditions on performatives must
be met for the successful use of a performative (a paraphrase):
a. A conventional procedure must exists with a conventional effect
b. The circumstances must be appropriate
c. The procedure must be completed correctly
.
. .
Tyler Peterson
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
.
.
.
.
. .
. .
.
Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Felicity conditions on Performatives
▶
Austin: a number of felicity conditions on performatives must
be met for the successful use of a performative (a paraphrase):
a.
b.
c.
d.
A conventional procedure must exists with a conventional effect
The circumstances must be appropriate
The procedure must be completed correctly
You must have the correct thoughts, feelings and intentions (be
sincere)
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. .
Tyler Peterson
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
.
.
.
.
. .
. .
.
Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
Felicity conditions on Performatives
▶
Austin: a number of felicity conditions on performatives must
be met for the successful use of a performative (a paraphrase):
a.
b.
c.
d.
A conventional procedure must exists with a conventional effect
The circumstances must be appropriate
The procedure must be completed correctly
You must have the correct thoughts, feelings and intentions (be
sincere)
e. If there is something that follows, the relevant participants must
do so
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. .
Tyler Peterson
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
.
.
.
.
. .
. .
.
Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
A revision
▶
A problem: some constantives cannot be evaluated for truth or
falseness, or we might differ in our opinions:
.
. .
Tyler Peterson
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
.
.
.
.
. .
. .
.
Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
A revision
▶
A problem: some constantives cannot be evaluated for truth or
falseness, or we might differ in our opinions:
a. The SkyTower is 2km from here.
b. The Lego Movie is awesome
c. Italy has the shape of a boot.
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. .
Tyler Peterson
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
.
.
.
.
. .
. .
.
Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
A revision
▶
A problem: some constantives cannot be evaluated for truth or
falseness, or we might differ in our opinions:
a. The SkyTower is 2km from here.
b. The Lego Movie is awesome
c. Italy has the shape of a boot.
▶
You can make constantives be performative:
.
. .
Tyler Peterson
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
.
.
.
.
. .
. .
.
Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
A revision
▶
A problem: some constantives cannot be evaluated for truth or
falseness, or we might differ in our opinions:
a. The SkyTower is 2km from here.
b. The Lego Movie is awesome
c. Italy has the shape of a boot.
▶
You can make constantives be performative:
a. I hereby claim that hockey is better than baseball
b. I hereby state that everything is awesome!
.
. .
Tyler Peterson
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
.
.
.
.
. .
. .
.
Probing our intuitions
Speech Acts: saying is a part of doing
The basic ideas
Performatives vs. Constantives
A revision
▶
A problem: some constantives cannot be evaluated for truth or
falseness, or we might differ in our opinions:
a. The SkyTower is 2km from here.
b. The Lego Movie is awesome
c. Italy has the shape of a boot.
▶
You can make constantives be performative:
a. I hereby claim that hockey is better than baseball
b. I hereby state that everything is awesome!
▶
Austin concludes that constantives are just a special class of
performatives
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. .
Tyler Peterson
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LINGUIST 101 - Language, Mind and Society
.
.
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. .
. .
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