PHIL145 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Syntactic Ambiguity, Quoting Out Of Context, Enthymeme
24 Aug 2016
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Document Summary
What is asserted goes beyond content of sentences uttered. Reasonable audience considers not just what was said, but the point of saying it. Good critical reasoning requires reflection on range of linguistic and extra-linguistic devices implicated in communication of arguments (and sometimes in commission of reasoning errors) Many purposes are performative result in accomplishment of some act rather than just describing. Uses of language extend to issuing commands, asking questions, making assertions. Commanding, questioning, asserting different kinds of speech-act. Imperative sentences used to give orders, take out the trash. Interrogative sentences used to ask questions, did you take out the trash? . Indicative/declarative sentences used to assert, you took out the trash. Two reasons we need to read/listen carefully to what someone says in order to make sense of their argument: assertions can be made without employing indicative sentences rhetorical questions.
