Performative Utterance
Performative utterances (or performatives) are defined in the speech acts theory (part of the philosophy of language) as sentences which are not only passively describing a given reality, but they are changing the (social) reality they are describing.
J. L. Austin originally assumed that stating something and performing an illocutionary act are mutually exclusive.
Read more about Performative Utterance: History of The Term, Austin's Definition, True/false Value and John Searle, The Receiving Side, Performativeness As Non-dichotomous Variable, Performative Writing
Famous quotes containing the word utterance:
“In life, then, no new thing has ever arisen, or can arise, save out of the impulse of the male upon the female, the female upon the male. The interaction of the male and female spirit begot the wheel, the plough, and the first utterance that was made on the face of the earth.”
—D.H. (David Herbert)