Home / Quotes / Quote by J. L. Austin

Quote by J. L. Austin

“The trouble is that the expression 'material thing' is functioning already, from the very beginning, simply as a foil for 'sense-datum'; it is not here given, and is never given, any other role to play, and apart from this consideration it would surely never have occurred to anybody to try to represent as some single kind of things the things which the ordinary man says that he 'perceives.”

Author

J. L. Austin

J. L. Austin (John Langshaw Austin, March 26, 1911 – February 8, 1960) was a prominent British philosopher and a leading figure in ordinary language philosophy. He studied and taught at Oxford University, where he developed his influential theory of speech acts, arguing that language is not merely descriptive but also performative. His seminal work, How to Do Things with Words, introduced the concepts of locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary acts, and distinguished between performative and constative utterances. Austin's meticulous analysis of everyday language challenged traditional philosophical approaches and had a lasting impact on linguistics, philosophy of language, law, and literary theory. He died of lung cancer at age 48. more

“The beginning of sense, not to say wisdom, is to realize that 'doing an action,' as used in philosophy, is a highly abstract expression--it is a stand-in used in the place of any (or almost any?) verb with a personal subject, in the same sort of way that 'thing' is a stand-in for anynoun substantive, and 'quality' a stand-in for the adjective.”

Way Philosophy Action Used Realizing Quality Subjects Expression Abstract Verbs Adjectives

Author:J. L. Austin

“I feel ruefully sure, also, that one must be at least one sort of fool to rush in over ground so well trodden by the angels.”

Feels Wells Fool Angel

Author:J. L. Austin

“You are more than entitled not to know what the word 'performative' means. It is a new word and an ugly word, and perhaps it doesnot mean anything very much. But at any rate there is one thing in its favor, it is not a profound word.”

Knows Mean One Thing Profound Rate Ugly Favors Entitled New Words

Author:J. L. Austin

“Are cans constitutionally iffy? Whenever, that is, we say that we can do something, or could do something, or could have done something, is there an if in the offing--suppressed, it may be, but due nevertheless to appear when we set out our sentence in full or when we give an explanation of its meaning?”

Ifs Giving May Done Can Do Sentences Dues Explanation Nevertheless Can Do Something Determinism

Author:J. L. Austin