Pragmatics o Austin- How to do things with words Grice-The Cooperative Principle e Goffman -Face e Brown and levinson Politeness oWierzbicka-Culture and Cognition
Pragmatics •Austin – How to do things with words •Grice – The Cooperative Principle •Goffman – Face •Brown and Levinson – Politeness •Wierzbicka – Culture and Cognition
J. L. Austin How to do things with words. ° Locutionary Acts Saying something about something Illocutionary acts Doing something by saying something ● Performatives ° Perlocutionary Acts
J. L. Austin How to do things with words. • Locutionary Acts • Saying something about something • Illucutionary acts • Doing something by saying something • Performatives. • Perlocutionary Acts
Performatives 1. The uttering of the words is the performance of which is also the object of the utterance 2. Circumstances around the performative must be appropriate 1. good faith v bad faith 2. Other things have to go right(happy)( felicities) 3. Must be an accepted conventional procedure 4. Particular persons must be appropriate for the invocation of the act 5. Procedure must be executed correctly and completely 6. Person must have those thoughts and feelings requisite of the act 7. Must actually conduct themselves subsequentl
Performatives 1. The uttering of the words is .. the performance of which is also the object of the utterance. 2. Circumstances around the performative must be appropriate 1. good faith v. bad faith 2. Other things have to go right (happy) (felicities) 3. Must be an accepted conventional procedure 4. Particular persons must be appropriate for the invocation of the act 5. Procedure must be executed correctly and completely 6. Person must have those thoughts and feelings requisite of the act 7. Must actually conduct themselves subsequently
Performatives 3. Sinning against rules will make the performance unhappy 4. Explicit(I bet, I promise, ..)iMplicit performatives(where the performative is only a possibility(might, perhaps, (you might be wrong 5. Entails (all men blush)v Implies v Presupposes(all Jacks children are bald presupposes that Jack has children
Performatives 3. Sinning against rules will make the performance unhappy 4. Explicit (I bet, I promise, ...) v Implicit performatives (where the performative is only a possibility (might, perhaps, (you might be wrong) 5. Entails (all men blush) v. Implies v Presupposes (all Jacks children are bald presupposes that Jack has children
Examples of Austins Performatives 1. Verdictives: Delivering a verdict judgement official or unofficial, acquit, convict, find (as a matter of fact), hold, interpret as, understand, read it as, rule, calculate, reckon, estimate, locate, place, date, measure, put it at, make it, take it, grade, rank, rate, assess, value, describe, characterize, diagnose, analyze 2. EXercitives: Giving a decision in favor or against a certain course of action from a position of power appoint, degrade, demote, dismiss, excommunicate, name, order, command, direct, sentence, fine, grant, levy, vote for nominate, choose, claim, give, bequeath, pardon, resign warn,advise, plead, pray, entreat, beg, urge, press recommend, proclaim, announce, quash, counterman, annul repeal, enact, reprieve, veto, dedicate, declare closed declare open
Examples of Austin’s Performatives 1. Verdictives: Delivering a verdict, judgement official or unofficial, acquit, convict, find (as a matter of fact), hold, interpret as, understand, read it as, rule, calculate, reckon, estimate, locate, place, date, measure, put it at, make it, take it, grade, rank, rate, assess, value, describe, characterize, diagnose, analyze. 2. Exercitives: Giving a decision in favor or against a certain course of action from a position of power. appoint, degrade, demote, dismiss, excommunicate, name, order, command, direct, sentence, fine, grant, levy, vote for, nominate, choose, claim, give, bequeath, pardon, resign, warn, advise, plead, pray, entreat, beg, urge, press, recommend, proclaim, announce, quash, counterman, annul, repeal;, enact, reprieve, veto, dedicate, declare closed, declare open
Examples of Austins Performatives 3. Comissives: Commits the speaker to a course of action; implies obligation promise, covenant, contract, undertake, bind myself, give my word 4. Behabitives: Adopting an attitude in reaction to the behavior of others 1)apologize, 2) thank, 3) sympathy 4)attitudes 5) greetings, 6) wishes, 7) challenges(dare, defy, protest, challenge 5. Expositives: Expounding one's views, clarifying 1. affirm, deny, state, describe, class, identify, 2. remark. mention
Examples of Austin’s Performatives 3. Comissives: Commits the speaker to a course of action; implies obligation promise, covenant, contract, undertake, bind myself, give my word, … 4. Behabitives: Adopting an attitude in reaction to the behavior of others 1) apologize, 2) thank, 3) sympathy 4) attitudes 5) greetings, 6) wishes, 7) challenges (dare, defy, protest, challenge). 5. Expositives: Expounding one's views, clarifying • 1. affirm, deny, state, describe, class, identify; 2. remark, mention
Points to remember Austin demonstrated that while some words were used to describe things(a locutionary act), other words (and sentences) did things The variety of words on the previous slide point this out clearly Austins work introduced a new field of language study now known as pragmatics Bourdieu pointed out that conditions of the performative are all associated with the Institution
Points to remember • Austin demonstrated that while some words were used to describe things (a locutionary act), other words (and sentences) did things. • The variety of words on the previous slide point this out clearly. • Austin’s work introduced a new field of language study now known as pragmatics. • Bourdieu pointed out that conditions of the performative are all associated with the institution
Institutions (Bourdieu) and Speech Acts 1. Roles. 1. Particular persons must be appropriate for the invocation of the act 2 Practices 1. Must be an accepted conventional procedure 2. MU lust be executed correctly and completely 3. Other Considerations 1. Sincerity: Person must have those thoughts and feelings requisite of the act 2. Consistency: Must actually conduct themselves subsequently
Institutions (Bourdieu) and Speech Acts 1. Roles: 1. Particular persons must be appropriate for the invocation of the act 2. Practices: 1. Must be an accepted conventional procedure 2. Must be executed correctly and completely 3. Other Considerations 1. Sincerity: Person must have those thoughts and feelings requisite of the act 2. Consistency: Must actually conduct themselves subsequently
H. P Grice Conversational Implicature A: How is C getting on in his job [at the bank? B: Oh quite well. I think: he likes his colleaques, and he hasn't been to prison yet . What is the implicature? . While a hasn ' t been to prison, he is the sort of person who could easily end up there ii. What is a Conversational Implicature as opposed to Strictly Speaking?
H. P. Grice Conversational Implicature A: How is C getting on in his job [at the bank]? B: Oh quite well, I think; he likes his colleagues, and he hasn’t been to prison yet. i. What is the implicature? i. While A hasn’t been to prison, he is the sort of person who could easily end up there. ii. What is a Conversational Implicature as opposed to Strictly Speaking?
The Cooperative Principle and the Maxims The Principle CP Make your conversational contribution such as is required, at the stage at which it occurs, by the accepted purpose or direction of the talk exchange in which you are engaged Specific Maxims Quality: make contribution 1)as informative and 2)not more informative than required which you lact ak w) what you believe to be false and 2)that for Quality: don't sa ck adequate evidence Relation: Be relevant Manner: 1)avoid obscurity; 2) avoid ambiguity; 3) be brief; 4)be orderly. Others? Aesthetic, social, or moral, be polite, Cultural Differences: What is relevant, polite, true will vary from culture to culture
The Cooperative Principle and the Maxims • The Principle CP • Make your conversational contribution such as is required, at the stage at which it occurs, by the accepted purpose or direction of the talk exchange in which you are engaged. • Specific Maxims • Quality: make contribution 1) as informative and 2) not more informative than required. • Quality: don’t say 1) what you believe to be false and 2) that for which you lack adequate evidence. • Relation: Be relevant • Manner: 1) avoid obscurity; 2) avoid ambiguity; 3) be brief; 4) be orderly. • Others? Aesthetic, social, or moral, be polite, ... • Cultural Differences: What is relevant, polite, true will vary from culture to culture
