J. L. Austin

High school (ages 12+)
Thinking & Learning

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/j-l-austin

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was J. L. Austin born?March 26, 1911, Aberystwyth, Wales
2. When did J. L. Austin die?February 8, 1960, Oxford, England
3. What is J. L. Austin known for?Pioneering the theory of speech acts and the analysis of performative utterances
4. What is the philosophical movement?Leading proponent of Ordinary Language Philosophy
5. What did J. L. Austin say about words doing things?He said that saying words can actually do things, like magic, not just describe them.
6. What are the three parts of a speech act?The parts are the locutionary act (the words spoken), the illocutionary act (the action done, like promising), and the perlocutionary act (the effect on the listener).

Speech Act Theory: A philosophical framework positing that utterances function as actions, categorized by their illocutionary force and felicity conditions.
Performative Utterance: A statement whose utterance constitutes the performance of the action it names, such as 'I promise' or 'I declare'.
Felicity Conditions: The necessary contextual and procedural requirements for a performative utterance to be successfully executed.
Ordinary Language Philosophy: A philosophical approach that emphasizes the analysis of everyday language to resolve philosophical problems.