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J. L. Austin Biography

John Langshaw "J. L." Austin (26 March 1911 – 8 February 1960) was a British philosopher of language and leading proponent of ordinary language philosophy, perhaps best known for developing the theory of speech acts.

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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.

Data, Expression, Men, Represent, Simply, Trouble

Let us distinguish between acting intentionally and acting deliberately or on purpose, as far as this can be done by attending to what language can teach us.

Acting, Austin, Done, Purpose, Teach

Usually it is uses of words, not words in themselves, that are properly called vague.

Fake People, Properly, Use, Usually, Vague

Going back into the history of a word, very often into Latin, we come back pretty commonly to pictures or models of how things happen or are done. These models may be fairly sophisticated and recent, as is perhaps the case with 'motive' or 'impulse', but one of the commonest and most primitive types of model is one which is apt to baffle us through its very naturalness and simplicity.

Apt, Done, Latin, Simplicity

We become obsessed with 'truth' when discussing statements, just as we become obsessed with 'freedom' when discussing conduct. . . Like freedom, truth is a bare minimum or an illusory ideal.

Become, Discussing, Illusory, Minimum, Obsessed, Truth Is

But suppose we take the noun 'truth': here is a case where the disagreements between different theorists have largely turned on whether they interpreted this as a name of a substance, of a quality, or of a relation.

Case, Different, Disagreements, Names, Quality, Suppose

Certainly ordinary language has no claim to be the last word, if there is such a thing. It embodies, indeed, something better thanthe metaphysics of the Stone Age, namely, as was said, the inherited experience and acumen of many generations of men.

Acumen, Age, Inherited, Language, Men, Philosophical

Like 'real', 'free' is only used to rule out the suggestion of some or all of its recognized antitheses. As 'truth' is not a name of a characteristic of assertions, so 'freedom' is not a name for a characteristic of actions, but the name of a dimension in which actions are assessed.

Freedom, Names, Real, Suggestion, Suggestions, Used

But I owe it to the subject to say, that it has long afforded me what philosophy is so often thought, and made, barren of - the fun of discovery, the pleasures of co-operation, and the satisfaction of reaching agreement.

Discovery, Fun, Philosophy, Say, Subject

Certainly ordinary language has no claim to be the last word, if there is such a thing.

Claim, Language, Lasts, Ordinary, Thing

There are more ways of outraging speech than contradiction merely.

Austin, Contradiction, Outraging, Speech, Way, Ways

What is truth?' said jesting Pilate, and would not stay for an answer. Pilate was in advance of his time. For 'truth' itself is an abstract noun, a camel, that is, of a logical construction, which cannot get past the eye even of a grammarian. We approach it cap and categories in hand: we ask ourselves whether Truth is a substanceor a qualityor a relation. . . . But philosophers should take something more nearly their own size to strain at. What needs discussing rather is the use, or certain uses, of the word 'true. ' In vino, possibly, 'veritas,' but in a sober symposium 'verum.

Categories, Eye, Hand, Past, True, Truth

Ordinary language embodies the metaphysics of the Stone Age.

Age, Ordinary, Stone, Stones

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.

Angel, Fool, Ruefully, Rush, Sort, Wells

Faced with the nonsense question 'What is the meaning of a word?' and perhaps dimly recognizing it to be nonsense, we are nevertheless not inclined to give it up.

Give, Giving, Nonsense, Perhaps, Question, Recognizing

Sentences are not as such either true or false.

Austin, Fake People, False, Sentences, True, True Or False

There are more ways of killing a cat than drowning it in butter; but this is the sort of thing (as the proverb indicates) we overlook: there are more ways of outraging speech than contradiction merely.

Cat, Merely, Outraging, Speech, Way

It should be quite clear, then, that there are no criteria to be laid down in general for distinguishing the real from the not real.

Clear, Criteria, Down, Laid, Real, Should

Infelicity is an ill to which all acts are heir which have the general character of ritual or ceremonial, all conventional acts.

Acts, Austin, Character, General, Heirs, Infelicity

Is it true or false that Belfast is north of London? That the galaxy is the shape of a fried egg? That Beethoven was a drunkard? That Wellington won the battle of Waterloo? There are various degrees and dimensions of success in making statements: the statements fit the facts always more or less loosely, in different ways on different occasions for different intents and purposes.

Battle, Eggs, Shape, Statements, Truth, Ways

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J. L. Austin Biography

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