How to Do Things with Words

J.L. Austin’s classic work on pragmatics, “How to Do Things with Words,” is credited with popularizing the concept of “speech act theory.” Austin examines how language can be used to execute acts in addition to transmitting information in this book. He explores the idea of “illocutionary forces,” or the unspoken motivations and consequences of our words. Austin offers a novel viewpoint on the nature of words and their influence on literature, philosophy, legal theory, and communication by analyzing performative utterances and claims.