Speech acts

The theory of speech acts by J.L.

Austin

Speech acts are words that are actions; those actions include (but are

not limited to): ordering, promising, apologising, warning,

sentencing, christening, marrying, etc.

In this theory the author differentiates two separate parts of speech:

CONSTATIVES and PERFORMATIVES. On the one hand, constatives are sentences

that describe something as true or false. For example a sign that reads

"The Park closes at 6pm". On the other hand, performatives are

sentences that denote an action, they act upon the world. For example a trash

bin that reads "recycle", here the performative of recycle is

requesting people to put their trash into the proper receptacle.

Performatives depend on context and reception or "felicity

conditions" that are the rules under which performatives can be enacted. The

performatives should have proper authority; it should be understood, clear and

able to be executed in order to have the power to denote antion. Although the

performative fulfills those conditions, it does not mean that it is implicity

followed.