Performative utterances create actions through words from "summary" of How to Do Things with Words by John Langshaw Austin,J. L. Austin
Performative utterances refer to statements that do not merely describe or report something, but actually perform an action. These utterances are distinct from constative statements, which aim to convey information about the world. Unlike constatives, performatives do not aim to represent reality, but to bring about a certain state of affairs simply by being uttered. When we make performative utterances, we are not just describing a particular action, but we are actually carrying out that action through our words. For example, when a judge says "I now pronounce you husband and wife" during a wedding ceremony, they are not simply describing the marriage, but they are actually performing the act of marrying the couple through their utterance. The success of performative utterances depends on certain conditions being met, which Austin refers to as felicity conditions. These conditions vary depending on the type of performative and the context in which it is uttered. For example, for the marriage ceremony to be successful, certain conditions such as the presence of a licensed officiant and consenting parties must be met. Furthermore, performatives can be explicit or implicit, depending on whether the performative verb is explicitly stated or merely implied. Explicit performatives make the action being performed more obvious, while implicit performatives rely on context and convention to convey the performative force of the utterance.- Performative utterances have the power to create actions through words, by not just describing an action, but by actually performing that action. The success of performatives depends on various felicity conditions, and they can be either explicit or implicit depending on the context in which they are uttered.
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