Speech-Act-Theory

SpeechActTheorySpeechacttheoryOrigin:late1950s,BritishphilosopherJohnAustinGreatdevelopment:1970s,1980s,JohnSearleNature:aphilosophicalexplanationofthenatureoflinguisticcommunicationAim:Whatdowedowhenusinglanguage?PhilosophicalbackgroundAttheturnofthetwentiethcentury,therewasalinguisticturninwesternphilosophy.Philosophersfeltthatmanyphilosophicalproblemwereinfactproblemsoflanguage,andcouldbesolvedifwedidaproperanalysisoflanguage.Analyticphilosophy1.Ideallanguageanalysis(about1910-1930)BertrandRussell,LudwigWittgenstein2.Logicalpositivism(late1920s-1940s)MoritzSchlick,RudolfCarnap3.Ordinarylanguageanalysis(late1940s-1950s)ThelaterWittgenstein,J.L.Austin,JohnSearleAbriefintroductiontoJ.L.AustinJohnLangshawAustin(1911-1960)wasaBritishPhilosopheroflanguage.Heisrememberedprimarilyasthedeveloperofthetheoryofspeechacts.PriortoAustin,theattentionoflinguisticandanalyticphilosophershadbeendirectedalmostexclusivelytostatements,assertions,andpropositions—tolinguisticactsthat(atleastintheory)havetruth-value.Thisledtoproblemswhenanalyzingcertaintypesofstatements,forexampleindeterminingthetruthconditionsforsuchstatementsas“Ipromisetodoso-and-so.”Austinpointedoutthatweuselanguagetodothingsaswellastoassertthing,andthattheutteranceofastatementlike“Ipromisetodoso-and-so”isbestunderstoodasdoingsomething—makingapromise—ratherthanmakinganassertionaboutanything.Hencethenameofoneofhisbest-knownworksHowtodoThingswithWords.ConstativesandperformativesConstativesarestatementsthateitherstateordescribe,andarethusverifiableandconstativesbearthetruth-value.1.Snowiswhite.(true)2.Snowisred.(false)Performativesaresentencesthatdonotstateafactordescribeastate,andarenotverifiable,inotherwords,performativesareutterancethat“dothings.”1.Ido.2.InamethisshipElizabeth.3.Igiveandbequeathmywatchtomybrother.4.Ibetyousixpenceitwillraintomorrow.Austin’sfelicityconditionsonperformativesPerformativesdonothavetruthconditionsbutfelicityconditions.A.(ⅰ)Theremustbearelevantconventionalprocedure,and(ⅱ)therelevantparticipantsandcircumstancesmustbeappropriate.B.Theproceduremustbeexecuted(ⅰ)correctlyand(ⅱ)completely.C.Veryoften,(ⅰ)therelevantpeoplemusthavetherequisitethoughts,feelingsandintentions,and(ⅱ)mustfollowitupwithactionsasspecified.UnhappyorinfelicitousMisfires(行为失败)TheconditionsunderAandBareessentialtothefirstgroupofinfelicitieswhichcalls“misfires.”Abuses(行为乱用)TheconditionslistedunderC—whenviolated—maketheprofessedactanabuseoftheprocedure.AB行为失败宣称的行为无效A误求B误施不承认有效行为有缺陷的行为A1无用A2误用B1缺陷B2障碍C行为乱用不真实空洞的行为C1不诚实C2不守信感情方面想法方面意图方面2008年奥运会主办城市——北京我的房子我跟你打赌六便士明天保准下雨我祝贺你我建议你去我许诺ExplicitandimplicitperformativesPerformativeverbsThetypeofverbsusedtomakeperformativeutterancearecalledperformativeverbs.Examplesare:promise,name,bet,agree,swear,order,predict.Explicitperformatives:useperfoemativeverbse.g.IpromisethatIshallbethere.Implicitperformatives:donotuseperformativeverbse.g.Ishallbethere.DistinctionbetweenperformativesandconstativesGrammaticalcriterion1.Ideclarethemeetingopen.2.Iwarnyouthatthebullcharge.Thepropertiesoftypicalperformatives:Typicalperformativesusefirstpersonsingularsubject,simplepresenttense,indicativemood,activevoiceandperformativeverbs.Exceptions:1.Pedestriansarewarnedtokeepoffthegrass.2.Turnright.DistinctionbetweenperformativesandconstativesLexicalcriterionThemosttypicalconstativeverb“state”,whichisusedtodescribethings,maybeusedtodoingthings.Inuttering“IstatethatI’maloneresponsible”,thespeakerhasmadeastatementandundertakentheresponsibility.Inotherwords,itseemsthatthedistinctionbetweenperformativesandconstativescannotmaintain.Allsentencescanbeusedtodothings.Austin’strichotomyofspeechactsPhoneticactsLocutionaryactsPhaticactsAustinIllocutionaryactsRheticactsPerlocutinaryacts许国璋顾曰国何自然何兆熊熊学亮以言表意行为说话行为以言指事言内行为以言指事以言行事行为施事行为以言行事言外行为以言行事以言取效行为取效行为以言成事言后行为以言成事胡壮麟周礼全涂纪亮蔡曙山索振羽言中行为语谓行为以言表意行为语谓行为叙事行为言外行为语指行为以言行事行为语用行为行事行为言后行为语效行为以言取效行为语效行为成事行为LocutionaryactLocutionaryact:theutteranceofasentencewithdeterminatesenseandreferencePhoneticact(发声行为)Phaticact(发音行为)Rheticact(表意行为)IllocutionaryactIllocutionaryact:themakingofstatement,offer,promise,etc.inutteringasentence,byvirtueoftheconventionalforceassociatewithit(orwithitsexplicitperformativeparaphrase)InsayingX,IwasdoingYIllocutionaryforceIllocutionaryforceexpressesthespeaker’sintentioninaspecificsituationalcontext.Thesamesentencewillhavedifferentillocutionaryforcesdependingoncontext.Speakermustobeyasetofrulesspecifiedforillocutionaryactinordertogetthehearertorecognizehisintention.Austin’sClassificationofillocutionaryactsVerdictives(判定式)Exercitives(执行式)Commissives(承诺式)Behabitives(表态式)Expositives(阐述式)PerlocutionaryactPerlocutionaryact:thebringingaboutofeffectsontheaudiencebymeansofutteringthesentence,sucheffectsbeingspecialtothecircumstancesofutteranceBysayingsomethingX,IdidYExample:Shoother!Youcan’tdothat.SignificanceofAustin’sspeechacttheoryItchangethecommonideasonthenatureoflanguage.Languageisusednotonlytodescribetheworld,butalsotodothing.Itprovidespeoplewithanewperspectiveofstud