Week 1 – Introduction
Pragmatics
→ The distinction between what a speaker says and what the speaker might mean by his
words.
Week 2 – Truth and Action
Constitutives vs. Performatives
● Constitutives: Can be true or false.
● Performatives: Can be successful or unsuccessful.
J.L. Austin – Speech Act Theory
Austin’s breakthrough: the simple division between true/false utterances was too limited
because many utterances can do both — leading to the broader Speech Act Theory.
Three Levels of Speech Acts (Austin)
1. Locutionary Act – Producing a meaningful utterance.
○ Phonetic act: sound produced.
○ Phatic act: words and grammar.
○ Rhetic act: meaning of the sentence.
2. Illocutionary Act – The performative use of a proposition (e.g. the request from the
speaker).
3. Perlocutionary Act – The effect of the utterance on the listener.
Searle’s Update to Austin
1. Locutionary Act
○ Utterance → the spoken sentence.
○ Proposition → content → propositional act.
2. Illocutionary Act
3. Perlocutionary Act
, Constitutive vs. Regulative Rules
● Constitutive Rules: Create or define new forms of behaviour.
→ Example: chess rules.
● Regulative Rules: Control or regulate existing behaviour.
→ Example: traffic rules.
The Four Constitutive Rules for Speech Acts
If one or more rules are not met, the act becomes unhappy (a misfire or abuse).
1. Propositional Content Rule – The act must be about a future action.
→ Example: “I’ll help you tomorrow.”
2. Preparatory Rule – Conditions must make sense; the hearer must want it or it must be
obvious the act will happen.
3. Sincerity Rule – The speaker truly intends to do it.
→ Example: The speaker truly means to help.
4. Essential Rule – Defines what the act counts as.
→ Example: The utterance counts as a promise.
Five Categories of Speech Acts (Searle)
1. Representatives / Assertives → stating, reporting.
2. Directives → requesting, commanding.
3. Commissives → promising, threatening (future actions).
4. Expressives → thanking, congratulating (emotions).
5. Declarations → declaring, christening (changing external situations).
Direct vs. Indirect Speech Acts
● Direct Speech Act: Form matches function.
→ Example: “Close the door.”
● Indirect Speech Act: Form differs; meaning is inferred.
→ Example: “Can you close the door?”
Grice and the Cooperative Principle
Grice shows how we understand indirect speech acts through cooperative principles and
maxims:
Pragmatics
→ The distinction between what a speaker says and what the speaker might mean by his
words.
Week 2 – Truth and Action
Constitutives vs. Performatives
● Constitutives: Can be true or false.
● Performatives: Can be successful or unsuccessful.
J.L. Austin – Speech Act Theory
Austin’s breakthrough: the simple division between true/false utterances was too limited
because many utterances can do both — leading to the broader Speech Act Theory.
Three Levels of Speech Acts (Austin)
1. Locutionary Act – Producing a meaningful utterance.
○ Phonetic act: sound produced.
○ Phatic act: words and grammar.
○ Rhetic act: meaning of the sentence.
2. Illocutionary Act – The performative use of a proposition (e.g. the request from the
speaker).
3. Perlocutionary Act – The effect of the utterance on the listener.
Searle’s Update to Austin
1. Locutionary Act
○ Utterance → the spoken sentence.
○ Proposition → content → propositional act.
2. Illocutionary Act
3. Perlocutionary Act
, Constitutive vs. Regulative Rules
● Constitutive Rules: Create or define new forms of behaviour.
→ Example: chess rules.
● Regulative Rules: Control or regulate existing behaviour.
→ Example: traffic rules.
The Four Constitutive Rules for Speech Acts
If one or more rules are not met, the act becomes unhappy (a misfire or abuse).
1. Propositional Content Rule – The act must be about a future action.
→ Example: “I’ll help you tomorrow.”
2. Preparatory Rule – Conditions must make sense; the hearer must want it or it must be
obvious the act will happen.
3. Sincerity Rule – The speaker truly intends to do it.
→ Example: The speaker truly means to help.
4. Essential Rule – Defines what the act counts as.
→ Example: The utterance counts as a promise.
Five Categories of Speech Acts (Searle)
1. Representatives / Assertives → stating, reporting.
2. Directives → requesting, commanding.
3. Commissives → promising, threatening (future actions).
4. Expressives → thanking, congratulating (emotions).
5. Declarations → declaring, christening (changing external situations).
Direct vs. Indirect Speech Acts
● Direct Speech Act: Form matches function.
→ Example: “Close the door.”
● Indirect Speech Act: Form differs; meaning is inferred.
→ Example: “Can you close the door?”
Grice and the Cooperative Principle
Grice shows how we understand indirect speech acts through cooperative principles and
maxims:
