KEY EXERCISES - SPEECH ACTS

HANDOUT DISTRIBUTED IN CLASS ON NOV 10TH

SHEET 2

PRACTICE

(1) If I say to you, "I warn you not to come any closer", do I, by saying so, actually perform the ct of warning you not to come any closer? YES

(2) Does the utterance "I warn you not to come any closer" describe an act of warning by the speaker ? YES

(3) is the utterance "I warn you not to come any closer" a performative utterance? YES

(4) If Sam says to Rachel, "I admit I took 50p from the coffee money" does he, by so saying, actually perform an act of admission? YES

(5) And soes Sam´s utterance describe an act of admission? (YES)

(6) Is "I admit I took 50p from the coffee money" performative? (YES)

(7) If someone says, "I`m trying to get this box open with a screwdriver", does that utterance constitute an act of trying to open a box with a screwdriver? (NO)

(8) Is "I´m trying to get this box open with a screwdriver" performative?
NO, IN THE FIRST MOMENT OF AUSTIN´S THEORY. IN THE SECOND MOMENT, THIS UTTERANCE WOULD BE CONSIDERED ILLOCUTIONARY= ACT OF STATING; DECLARING; AFFIRMING, ETC.

PRACTICE

Are the following utterances performative (P) or constative (C)?

(1) "I name this ship Hibernia" (P) ACT OF NAMING

(2) "I believe in the dictatorship of the Proletariat" (C) IN THE FIRST MOMENT OF AUSTIN´S THEORY. IN THE SECOND MOMENT, THIS UTTERANCE WOULD BE CONSIDERED ILLOCUTIONARY= ACT OF STATING; DECLARING; AFFIRMING, ETC.

(3) "I admit I was hasty" (P) ACT OF ADMISSION

(4) "I think I was wrong" (C) IN THE FIRST MOMENT OF AUSTIN´S THEORY. IN THE SECOND MOMENT, THIS UTTERANCE WOULD BE CONSIDERED ILLOCUTIONARY= ACT OF STATING; DECLARING; AFFIRMING, ETC.

(5) "I hereby inform you that you are sacked" (P)ACT OF INFORMING

(6) "I give you supper every night" (C) IN THE FIRST MOMENT OF AUSTIN´S THEORY. IN THE SECOND MOMENT, THIS UTTERANCE WOULD BE CONSIDERED ILLOCUTIONARY= ACT OF STATING; DECLARING; AFFIRMING, COMPLAINING, CLAIMING ETC.



PRACTICE

Are the following verbs performative verbs, or not (considering the first moment of Austin´s theory, when he tries to maintain the constative X performative distinction).


(1) apologige (YES)

(2) authorize (YES)

(3) argue (NO)

(4) condemn (YES)

(5) squeal (NO)



SHEET 3

PRACTICE: Can hereby be acceptably inserted in the space indicated in the following utterances? YES or NO?

(1) "I (.......) give notice that I will lock these dodors in sixty seconds." YES
(2)"Listeners are (.......) reminded that BBC wireless licences expire on April 4th." YES

(3) "It (....)gives me great pleasure to open this building." NO

(4) "I (....) warn you not to talk to my sister again". YES

(5) "I (....) believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth".

NO (if one considers the first moment of Austin´s theory, when "believe" was not an explicit performative verb.

YES if one considers that "believe" is at the same level as "state", with performative force.

PRACTICE - Indicate whether the following sentences are odd or not odd.

(1) I hereby warn you that you will fail. NOT ODD
(2) They hereby warn her that she will fail. NOT ODD
(3) I hereby promised him that I would be at the station at three o´clock. ODD

(4) The management hereby warn customers that tmistakes in the change cannot be rectified once the customer has left the counter. NOT ODD
(5) Spitting is hereby forbidden. NOT ODD
(6) I hereby sing. ODD


ENTRY TEST

(1) Which of the following acts can be performed through the use of language? Underline your choices (answers are in bold)

kicking, asserting, warning, promising, running, referring, insulting


(2) CORRECT STATEMENT: LETTER "C"

(3) YES

(4) Performative


PRACTICE

(1) Could the utterance "Don´t come a step nearer!" be an act of warning? YES

(2) Could the utterance "Get lost" be an act of dismissing? YES

(3) Could the utterance "Why don´t you try looking in Woolworths? " be an act of making a suggestion? YES

(4) Could the utterance "Do you think I´m an idiot?" be an act of rejecting a suggestion? YES

(5) What act is typically performed by uttering an interrogative sentence?
AN ACT OF ASKING A QUESTION

(6) What act is most typically carried out by an imperative utterance?
AN ACT OF ORDERING SOMEONE TO TO SOMETHING.

AUSTIN - SPEECH ACTS

SPEECH ACTS – JOHN AUSTIN

 The speech act theory is developed in the field of Philosophy of Language (analytic language philosophy, in the British tradition), in the late 1940s and through the early 1960s.

 Austin (1911-1960) was a leading member in the studies on speech acts. He develops his theory of linguistic action.

 Austin´s main questions were:

“What do we do when we speak?”
“What do we do when we use language?” “What do we do when we say something?”

 Austin takes the speaker (hearer, subject) into account.

 If meaning depends on the use the speaker makes of a linguistic expression, the speaker (the agent who uses language) must be considered.

 The speaker is the subject of a language act.

Austin develops his theory in two moments:


FIRST MOMENT: elaborates the notion of performativity.
 Distinction performative/constative


Performative x constative
 Austin argues that, contrary to what philosophical and grammatical tradition believed, not all declarative sentences are used to make statements.
 Austin recognizes the existence of declarative sentences which are actually used to describe some state of affairs or to state some fact (CONSTATIVES).
 Language also has the ability to inform and produce reference.
 There is a cat on the mat.
 It rains.


 DESCRIPTIVE FALLACY: the view that language is preeminently the tool of constative assertion, that is, a tool primarily interested in providing statements about the world, which are characterizable as either true or false.
 Austin claims that language also produces other types of sentences whose first meaning is not to inform, is to do something.
 He focuses on one group of sentences which he labels PERFORMATIVES, in which the saying of the words constitutes the performing of an action.

Examples:

a. ‘I do (sc. take this woman to be my lawful wedded wife)’ – as uttered in the course of the marriage ceremony.

b. ‘I name this ship the Queen Elizabeth’ – as uttered when smashing the bottle against the stem.

c. ‘I give and bequeath my watch to my brother’ – as occurring in a will.

d. ‘I bet you sixpence it will rain tomorrow.’

The peculiarity of the performative utterance, in contrast to the constative, is that it does not describe a state of affairs independent of itself, but that it is itself the reality it describes. It is therefore a self-reflexive utterance.

 I do not describe a state of affairs in the real world. Rather I bring a state of affairs into existence by virtue of my utterance.



CONDITIONS FOR HAPPY PERFORMATIVES
(FELICITY CONDITIONS)

In order for the act to take place fully, there are certain conditions which must be taken into account.

The speech act does not depend only on someone´s wish.

 Infelicities (unhappy utterance)

 (A.I) accepted, conventional procedure (certain words; certain people; certain circumstances)
 (A.2) appropriate persons and circumstances
 (B.1) procedures executed by all participants correctly and
 (B.2) completely
 ( 1.) speakers: sincerity/good faith/real feelings
 ( 2.) speakers must act accordingly

(A.1)-(B.2) MISFIRE = the act does not take place
(. 1) - (. 2) ABUSES= the act is achieved (abuse of procedures)

 Promise

 A promise may be void (given in bad faith)

 allow



Austin tries to establish a fixed criterion to make a distinction between constatives and performatives, through a set of constative verbs or expressions.

Performative verbs:
(i) present indicative
(ii) 1st person singular;
(iii) active voice.
I promise.
I allow.

Difficulties for Austin´s theory
1. Austin realizes that there are verbs which are not 1st person singular, but behave as performative verbs.
Go! (act of commanding)

2. There are verbs with performative characteristics, but which are constative.

There is a wasp on your head.
Austin realizes that no criterion is able to accurately include in the performative category only performative verbs and in the constative category only constative verbs.

SECOND MOMENT

AUSTIN CANNOT SUSTAIN THE DISTINCTION PERFORMATIVE x CONSTATIVE

AUSTIN CONCLUDES THAT EVERYTHING IN LANGUAGE IS ACTION.

“What do we do when we speak?”
“What do we do when we use language?” “What do we do when we say something?”
Identify the speaker´s actions when speaking.

LOCUTIONARY ACTS
The door is open.

ILLOCUTIONARY ACTS (central to language)

Promise, allow, congratulate, greet, order, etc.

PERLOCUTIONARY ACTS

If you turn right, I´ll give you a ticket!

(possible effects/ consequences?)

And the constative verbs?
They are illocutionary.
To state
To promise.
I apologize = I am sorry.