Promising

Definition

Promising is an act of making a commitment or assurance that a certain action will be taken or a condition will be fulfilled in the future. This speech act goes beyond mere statements or declarations, as it involves a speaker's intention and obligation to fulfill the promise, which can affect the listener's expectations and actions.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The act of promising can create a binding obligation for the speaker, making them responsible for following through on their commitment.
2. In promising, the speaker’s intentions and the context of the utterance play a significant role in determining whether the promise is considered valid or sincere.
3. Promises can be explicit, where the speaker clearly states their intention (e.g., 'I promise to help you'), or implicit, where the commitment is understood from context without being directly stated.
4. Breaking a promise can lead to various social consequences, including loss of trust and damage to relationships between the speaker and listener.
5. Promising interacts with concepts like sincerity and accountability, as the effectiveness of a promise often hinges on whether the speaker genuinely intends to fulfill it.

Review Questions

• What distinguishes promising from other types of illocutionary acts, and how does intention play a role in this distinction?
  • Promising is distinguished from other illocutionary acts by its specific focus on commitment and obligation. While other acts may simply convey information or ask questions, promising inherently involves an intention to undertake a future action. This intention is crucial because it shapes both the speaker's obligation and the listener's expectations regarding what will happen next.
• Discuss how the concept of performative utterances relates to promising and provide an example that illustrates this connection.
  • Performative utterances are statements that enact an action through their declaration, such as 'I promise.' This relates closely to promising because saying 'I promise' does not merely convey information but actually creates an obligation for the speaker to act. For instance, if someone says 'I promise to meet you tomorrow,' that statement performs the act of committing to a future meeting, altering the social contract between the speaker and listener.
• Evaluate the implications of breaking a promise within social contexts, considering both personal relationships and broader societal norms.
  • Breaking a promise can have significant implications in both personal relationships and societal norms. In personal relationships, failing to fulfill a promise can erode trust, lead to feelings of betrayal, and cause emotional harm. In broader societal contexts, promises often serve as foundational elements for agreements, contracts, and social commitments. Therefore, breaking promises can undermine social cohesion and complicate interactions among individuals and groups, potentially leading to legal disputes or reputational damage.

Related terms

Illocutionary Act: An illocutionary act is a type of speech act that conveys the speaker's intention in making a statement, such as asserting, questioning, commanding, or promising.

Performatives: Performatives are utterances that perform an action simply by being spoken, such as 'I promise' or 'I apologize,' which change the state of affairs in the context of communication.

Speech Act Theory:

Speech Act Theory is a framework for understanding how people use language not only to convey information but also to perform various kinds of actions through their utterances.