Determination and uniformity: the problem with speech-act theories of fiction

Predelli, Stefano

Abstract

Taking inspiration from Searle’s ‘The Logic of Fictional Discourse’, this essay presents an argument against different versions of the so-called ‘speech act theory of fiction’. In particular, it argues that a Uniformity Argument may be constructed, which is additional to the Determination Argument commonly attributed to Searle, and which does not rely on his presumably controversial Determination Principle. This Uniformity Argument is equally powerful against the ‘Dedicated Speech Act’ theories that Searle originally targeted, and the more recent, Grice-inspired versions of speech-act approaches to fictional discourse.

Citation

Predelli, S. (2019). Determination and uniformity: the problem with speech-act theories of fiction. Erkenntnis, 84(2), 309–324. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10670-017-9959-2

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 6, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Dec 19, 2017
• Publication Date: Apr 1, 2019
• Deposit Date: Nov 17, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 19, 2017
• Journal: Erkenntnis
• Print ISSN: 0165-0106
• Electronic ISSN: 1572-8420
• Publisher: Springer Verlag
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 84
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 309–324
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10670-017-9959-2
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/901291
• Publisher URL: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10670-017-9959-2