(4)言语行为理论

SpeechActTheory

(言语行为理论)JohnLangshawAustin(1911-1960)《如何以言行事》I.Howitoriginated

“Thephenomenontobediscussedisverywide-spreadandobvious,anditcannotfailtohavebeenalreadynoticed,athereandtherebyothers.YetIhavenotfoundattentionpaidtoitspecifically.”(1975,p.1)SpeechacttheorycamefromaseriesoflecturesgivenbyAustinatHarvardUniversityin1955,whichwerebroughttogetherinbookformbyJ.O.Urmoson,basedonAustin’sownlecturenotesandrecordingsofhislectures:“Howtodothingswithwords”.

AustinwasnotalinguistbutaphilosopherworkingatOxfordUniversityinthe1940’sand1950’s.

Austin,hisalmostequallyinfluentialpupilH.P.Griceandagroupoflike-mindedphilosophersworkingatOxfordandelsewherecametobeknownas“ordinarylanguagephilosopher.”

Austinbelievedthatthereisalotmoretoalanguagethanthemeaningofitswordsandphrases.Hewasconvincedthatwedonotjustuselanguagetosay

things(tomakestatements),buttodothings(performactions).

II.WhywasAustininterestedinordinarylanguage?

Itwasthisconvictionwhicheventuallyledhimtoatheoryofwhathecalledillocutionaryacts,atheorywhichexamineswhatkindsofthingswedowhenwespeak,howwedothemandhowouractsmay‘succeed’or‘fail’,buthebeganexploringhisideasbywayofthe“performativehypothesis”(施为、述行假设).“Itwasfortoolongtheassumptionofphilosophersthatthebusinessofa‘statement’canonlybeto‘describe’somestateofaffairs,orto‘statesomefacts’,whichitmustdoeithertrulyorfalsely.Grammarians,indeed,haveregularlypointedoutthatnotall‘sentencesarestatements:thereare,traditionally,besidesstatements,alsoquestionsandexclamations,andsentencesexpressingcommandsorwishesorconcessions.Notalltrueorfalsestatementsaredescriptions,andforthisreasonIprefertousetheword‘Constative’〔表述句〕.III.ThePerformativeHypothesis

〔施为句假设〕Austinshowedthatmostutteranceshavenotruthconditions.Theyarenotstatementsorquestionsbutactions,aconclusionhereachedthroughananalysisofwhathetermed‘per-formativeverbs’.Compare:Idriveawhitecar.(Constative)Iapologize.(Performative)包龙星……(Performative)Ibetyou￥100itwillrain.(Performative)Featuresofperformativesfirstperson,declarative,indicative,active,simplepresenttense(performative)(constative)IpromiseI’llbethere.I’llbethere.IadmitIwasfoolish.Iwasfoolish.Iwarnyou,thisgunisloaded.Thisgunisloaded.Iapologize.Iamsorry.Ithankyou.I’mverygrateful.Iorderyoutositdown.Youmustsitdown.(2)Differentperformatives1.Metalinguistic〔元语言〕performatives:self-referential,self-verifying,andnon-falsifiable.Forexample,”Isay”.Compare:IsaythatJohnisaliar.Johnisaliar.Ipleadnotguilty.Iaminnocent.Iapologizefordeceivingtheauditors.I’msorryIdeceivedtheauditors.2.Ritual〔仪式〕performatives:Isentenceyoutotenyears’…;Ibaptizeyou…;Inamethisship….

Forthesetobesuccessful,theremustbefelicityconditions.A:(1)theremustbeaconventionalprocedurehavingaconventionaleffect.(2)thecircumstancesandpersonsmustbeappropriate.B:Theproceduremustbeexecuted(1)correctly,(2)completely.Vicar:Willyoutakethiswoman…?Groom:Absolutely!Imean,Iwill.C:often(1)thepersonmusthavetherequisitethoughts,feelingsandintentionsand(2)ifconsequentconductisspecified,thentherelevantpartiesmustdoit.AccordingtoJennyThomas,foracoupletogetmarried,thefollowingproceduremustbeundergone.AmanandawomanBeforeanauthorizedpersonInanauthorizedplaceAtanapprovedtimeAccompaniedbyatleasttwowitnessesCertaindeclarationsmustbemadeCertainwordsmustbesaid3.Collaborative〔合作性〕performatives:“Ibetyoufivepounds…”;“Ichallengeyoutopistolsatdawn.”4.Group〔集体性〕performatives:Wedonotjudgeyoutobeguiltyofprofessionalmisconduct.Thingscanbedonewithoutperformatives.Forexample:PineTradeShopSeriousEnquiriesOnlyPleaseringbellforservice

Nomoochers!IV.Utterancesasactions

Austinfinallyabandonedthedistinctionbetween‘constative’andallformsofperformativeutterances.Statementsaretooseentohaveaperformativeaspect,andwhatisnowneededistodistinguishbetweenthetruth-conditionalaspectofwhatastatementisandtheactionitperforms;betweenthemeaningofthespeaker’swordsandtheirillocutionaryforce.(1)locution,illocutionandperlocution

1.Locution:theactualwordsuttered〔言内行为〕2.Illocution:theforceorintentionbehindthewords〔言外行为〕3.Perlocution:theeffectofillocutiononthehearer〔言后行为〕

ExmapleItishothere!(locution)Iwantsomefreshair.(illocution)Someonemightopenthewindow.(perlocution)PS:

“Speechact”,“illocutionaryact”,“illocutionaryforce”,“pragmaticforce”,and“force”

allmeanthesamething.

Justasthesamewordscanbeusedtoperformdifferentactssodifferentwords,canbeusedtoperformthesameact.forexample:

Shutthedoor!Couldyoushutthedoor?Didyouforgetthedoor?PutthewoodintheholeWereyouborninabarn?Whatdobigboysdowhentheycomeintoaroom,Johnny?Searle’scategoriesofillocutionaryactsSearleclassifiedillocutionaryactsintofollowing:1.Assertives〔断言行为〕:theseactscommitthespeakertothetruthoftheexpressedproposition:stating,suggesting,boasting,complaining,claiming,reporting(neutralinpoliteness:collaborative),suchasstate,affirm,claim,deny,report,concludeandect.2.Directives(impositives)〔使役行为〕:theseareintendedtoproducesomeeffectthroughactionbythehearer:ordering,commanding,requesting,advising,andrecommending(competitive),suchasorder,request,demand,ask,insistandect.3.Commissives〔承诺行为〕:thesecommitthespeakertosomefutureactionlikepromising,vowing,offering,suchaspromise,swear,pledgeofferandect.4.Expressives〔表情行为〕:whichhavethefunctionofexpressing,ormakingknown,thespeaker’spsychologicalattitudetowardsastateofaffairswhichtheillocutionpresupposes:thanking,congratulating,blaming,praising,condoling,suchasthank,apologize,congratulate,we1come,deploreandect.5.Declarations〔宣示行为〕:whosesuccessfulperformance…bringsaboutthecorrespondencebetweenthepropositionalcontentandreality.”Forexample:resigning,dismissing,christening,naming,appointing,sentencing,suchasname,resign,define,declare,nominateandect.V.Comments1.BymeansoftheperformativehypothesisAustinhadbeenabletodemonstratethatpeopledonotuselanguagejusttomakestatementsabouttheworld;theyalsouselanguagetoperformactions,actionswhichaffectorchangetheworld