IB Philosophy 10.2.5 Philosophy of Language and Communication Key Definitions

In Confucian thought, the moral function of language reflects the idea that language is not merely a tool for describing the world but a moral instrument for shaping character, maintaining social order, and expressing the values that bind a community together.

a term introduced by J.L. Austin to describe utterances that do not merely describe a state of affairs but enact something in the world (e.g., "I promise" or "I now pronounce you married"). Rather than being true or false, performative utterances succeed or fail depending on whether the appropriate conventions and social conditions are in place.

In the Analects, qiao yan (clever words) refers to flattering or insinuating speech that prioritises social approval over sincerity and genuine moral character. It represents verbal cleverness without moral substance, a quality Confucius saw as antithetical to ren (humaneness).

Developed by J.L. Austin and elaborated by John Searle, speech act theory analyses how utterances accomplish things beyond conveying information. It distinguishes the act of saying something (locutionary), the action performed in saying it such as promising or warning (illocutionary), and the effect produced on the listener (perlocutionary).

Zhengming (the rectification of names) is the Confucian doctrine that social order depends on words being used correctly, so that titles, roles, and moral concepts accurately correspond to the realities they describe.