Performative Verbs and Performative Acts

• Cleo Condoravdi

Sinn und Bedeutung

9 September 2010 - 11 September 2010
Saarbruecken, Germany

description

We propose an assertoric analysis of performative verbs, such as \"order\" and \"promise\", that does not require an actual intention for the successful performance of the relevant act. The analysis satisfies all of Searle's (1989) adequacy criteria. Central among them are the following: (a) performative utterances are performances of the act named by the performative verb; (b) performative utterances are self-guaranteeing; (c) performative utterances achieve (a) and (b) in virtue of their literal meaning.