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:
“It was a maxim with Mr. Brass that the habit of paying compliments kept a man’s tongue oiled without any expense; and that, as that useful member ought never to grow rusty or creak in turning on its hinges in the case of a practitioner of the law, in whom it should be always glib and easy, he lost few opportunities of improving himself by the utterance of handsome speeches and eulogistic expressions”
—Charles Dickens (1812–1870)