Austin's Theory of Meaning

Description: Austin's Theory of Meaning Quiz
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What is the main idea behind Austin's theory of meaning?

  1. Meaning is determined by the speaker's intention.

  2. Meaning is determined by the context in which the utterance is made.

  3. Meaning is determined by the listener's interpretation.

  4. Meaning is determined by the dictionary definition of the word.


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Austin argues that the meaning of an utterance is determined by the speaker's intention in making the utterance, rather than by the words themselves or the context in which the utterance is made.

What are the three types of speech acts identified by Austin?

  1. Locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary

  2. Descriptive, evaluative, and prescriptive

  3. Assertive, imperative, and interrogative

  4. Literal, figurative, and metaphorical


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Austin argues that every utterance can be analyzed into three parts: the locutionary act (the act of saying something), the illocutionary act (the intention behind the utterance), and the perlocutionary act (the effect of the utterance on the hearer).

What is the difference between a locutionary act and an illocutionary act?

  1. A locutionary act is the act of saying something, while an illocutionary act is the intention behind the utterance.

  2. A locutionary act is the literal meaning of an utterance, while an illocutionary act is the figurative meaning of the utterance.

  3. A locutionary act is the act of speaking, while an illocutionary act is the act of understanding.

  4. A locutionary act is the act of writing, while an illocutionary act is the act of reading.


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Austin argues that a locutionary act is the act of saying something, while an illocutionary act is the intention behind the utterance. For example, the utterance "I promise to pay you back" is a locutionary act, while the intention behind the utterance (to make a promise) is the illocutionary act.

What is the difference between an illocutionary act and a perlocutionary act?

  1. An illocutionary act is the intention behind the utterance, while a perlocutionary act is the effect of the utterance on the hearer.

  2. An illocutionary act is the literal meaning of an utterance, while a perlocutionary act is the figurative meaning of the utterance.

  3. An illocutionary act is the act of speaking, while a perlocutionary act is the act of understanding.

  4. An illocutionary act is the act of writing, while a perlocutionary act is the act of reading.


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Austin argues that an illocutionary act is the intention behind the utterance, while a perlocutionary act is the effect of the utterance on the hearer. For example, the utterance "I promise to pay you back" is an illocutionary act (the intention to make a promise), while the effect of the utterance on the hearer (to make them believe that you will pay them back) is the perlocutionary act.

What are some examples of illocutionary acts?

  1. Stating, questioning, commanding, promising, and requesting

  2. Describing, evaluating, and prescribing

  3. Asserting, imperative, and interrogative

  4. Literal, figurative, and metaphorical


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Austin argues that there are many different types of illocutionary acts, including stating, questioning, commanding, promising, and requesting. Each of these illocutionary acts has a different intention behind it.

What are some examples of perlocutionary acts?

  1. Convincing, persuading, scaring, and amusing

  2. Describing, evaluating, and prescribing

  3. Asserting, imperative, and interrogative

  4. Literal, figurative, and metaphorical


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Austin argues that there are many different types of perlocutionary acts, including convincing, persuading, scaring, and amusing. Each of these perlocutionary acts has a different effect on the hearer.

How does Austin's theory of meaning differ from traditional theories of meaning?

  1. Austin's theory of meaning focuses on the speaker's intention, while traditional theories of meaning focus on the words themselves.

  2. Austin's theory of meaning focuses on the context in which the utterance is made, while traditional theories of meaning focus on the dictionary definition of the word.

  3. Austin's theory of meaning focuses on the listener's interpretation, while traditional theories of meaning focus on the author's intention.

  4. Austin's theory of meaning focuses on the figurative meaning of an utterance, while traditional theories of meaning focus on the literal meaning of the utterance.


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Austin's theory of meaning differs from traditional theories of meaning in that it focuses on the speaker's intention, rather than on the words themselves or the context in which the utterance is made. Austin argues that the meaning of an utterance is determined by the speaker's intention in making the utterance.

What are some of the criticisms of Austin's theory of meaning?

  1. Austin's theory is too vague and does not provide a clear account of how meaning is determined.

  2. Austin's theory is too focused on the speaker's intention and does not take into account the context in which the utterance is made.

  3. Austin's theory is too focused on the literal meaning of an utterance and does not take into account the figurative meaning of the utterance.

  4. All of the above


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Austin's theory of meaning has been criticized for being too vague and not providing a clear account of how meaning is determined. It has also been criticized for being too focused on the speaker's intention and not taking into account the context in which the utterance is made. Finally, it has been criticized for being too focused on the literal meaning of an utterance and not taking into account the figurative meaning of the utterance.

Despite the criticisms, what is the significance of Austin's theory of meaning?

  1. Austin's theory of meaning has helped to shift the focus of philosophical inquiry from the meaning of words to the meaning of utterances.

  2. Austin's theory of meaning has helped to show that the meaning of an utterance is not simply a matter of its dictionary definition.

  3. Austin's theory of meaning has helped to show that the meaning of an utterance is not simply a matter of the speaker's intention.

  4. All of the above


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Austin's theory of meaning has been influential in philosophy of language because it has helped to shift the focus of philosophical inquiry from the meaning of words to the meaning of utterances. It has also helped to show that the meaning of an utterance is not simply a matter of its dictionary definition or the speaker's intention, but rather a complex interaction of all three.

In addition to the three types of speech acts (locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary), Austin also identified a fourth type of speech act called a:

  1. Commissive

  2. Directive

  3. Expressive

  4. Assertive


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Austin identified a fourth type of speech act called a commissive, which is an utterance that commits the speaker to a future course of action.

Austin's theory of meaning has been influential in the development of which field of linguistics?

  1. Pragmatics

  2. Semantics

  3. Syntax

  4. Phonology


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Austin's theory of meaning has been influential in the development of pragmatics, which is the study of how language is used in context.

Which of the following is NOT a type of illocutionary act identified by Austin?

  1. Constative

  2. Performative

  3. Commissive

  4. Assertive


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Constative is not a type of illocutionary act identified by Austin.

Austin's theory of meaning has been criticized for being:

  1. Too vague

  2. Too focused on the speaker's intention

  3. Too focused on the context of the utterance

  4. All of the above


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Austin's theory of meaning has been criticized for being too vague, too focused on the speaker's intention, and too focused on the context of the utterance.

Despite the criticisms, Austin's theory of meaning has been influential in the development of which field of philosophy?

  1. Philosophy of language

  2. Ethics

  3. Metaphysics

  4. Epistemology


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Austin's theory of meaning has been influential in the development of philosophy of language.

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