Speech Acts Between Convention and Intention

Abstract

As we can see from the very title, this article deals with the role of convention and intention in the realisation of speech acts. While the “founder” of the speech act theory J. Austin categorically stated that speech acts are essentially conventional, P. F. Strawson claims that for understanding some speech acts recognition of the speaker's intention is utmostly important. Many of the later researchers of the matter took one or the other side. However, the most objective appears to be a recent Searle's approach representing a kind of a compromise between the two: the interrelation of conventions and intentions enables the understanding of speech acts.