Two-faced compliments. (23rd April 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: McDonald, Lucy
• Is Part Of: Analysis. Volume 82:Number 2(2022)
• Page Start: 255
• Page End: 263
• Publication Date: 2022-04-23
• Subjects: compliments -- speech act theory -- illocutionary acts -- perlocutionary acts -- insults; Philosophy -- Periodicals; 105
• DOI: 10.1093/analys/anac008
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0003-2638

Abstract

Abstract: Compliments have received only cursory attention from speech act theorists and are usually characterised as run-of-the-mill illocutionary acts. Yet both intentionalist and conventionalist theories of illocutionary force struggle to accommodate ordinary language uses of 'compliment'. I argue that this is because there are in fact two kinds of compliment: illocutionary compliments and perlocutionary compliments. This account illuminates the practice of complimenting, as well as its converse, insulting, and illustrates the complex relationship between illocutionary force and perlocutionary effect.