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Speech Acts Theory

The document discusses speech act theory and categorizes speech acts into five categories: assertives, directives, commissives, expressives, and declarations. It also discusses that speech acts have three primary variables according to Searle: the illocutionary point, the direction of fit, and the sincerity condition.

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Robert Siby
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230 views3 pages

Speech Acts Theory

The document discusses speech act theory and categorizes speech acts into five categories: assertives, directives, commissives, expressives, and declarations. It also discusses that speech acts have three primary variables according to Searle: the illocutionary point, the direction of fit, and the sincerity condition.

Uploaded by

Robert Siby
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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SPEECH ACTS THEORY

Reference: Mann, Steven T. "'You're fired': an application of speech act theory to 2 Samuel 15.23-16.14." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, vol. 33.3 (2009): 315-334.

Categories of Speech Acts


1.

2.
3.

4.
5.

Assertives to tell people how things are. Directives to try to get people to do things. Commissives to commit the speaker to doing things. Expressives to express feelings and attitudes. Declarations to bring about changes to the world through the utterance itself

[John R. Searle, Expression and Meaning: Studies in the Theory of

Speech Acts (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1979), p. viii.]

Primary Variables
Each type of speech act as consisting of three primary variables that combine with the propositional content of the act : The illocutionary point the purpose of the act. The direction of fit a speech act as either an attempt to get the words to match the world (word-to-world) or the world to match the words (world-to-word). 3. The sincerity condition the psychological state of the person making the utterance.
1. 2.

[John R. Searle, Expression and Meaning, p. 3-5].

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