Expression and Meaning: Studies in the Theory of Speech Acts

Searle's schematism of speech acts appears to be the best known and most widely applied, even if still occasionally contested.

“Searle ' s schematism appears to be the best known and most widely applied, even if it is still occasionally contested.”

In Mahāyāna scriptures, there is a distinctive optative use with a third-person indefinite subject (rather than a second-person definite subject) that is assertive in form but pragmatically part of an implicit directive strategy.

“In other areas, we find a distinctive optative use with a third-person indefinite rather than a second-person definite subject, but this is a commonplace about benefits in Mah ā y ā na scriptures. This use is assertive in form but pragmatically is part of an implicit directive strategy, an extended application acknowledged by Searle (1979: 28 -9).”

Searle indicated that various speech act environments may employ ritual statements in multiple ways.

“The weaving of all these together should not surprise us, and Searle has indicated that various speech act environments may employ ritual statements in multiple ways (Searle 1979: 28 -9).”

Searle recognized that hybrid assertives would of necessity be a special case to be considered.

“Searle had recognized that hybrid assertives would of necessity be a special case to be considered (Searle 1979: 20, 30 -57; Searle and Vanderveken 1985: 180 -82).”

In Searle's terms, directives implicate a world-to-word fit, so that the words of the mantra-dhāraṇī operate to express the intention of the Buddha and alter the nature of reality.

“In Searle ' s terms (Searle 1979: 3 -20; Searle and Vanderveken 1985: 92 -8) that implicates, as in the case of all directives, a world to the word fit, so that the words of the mantra-dh ā ran ̣ ī operate to express the intention of the Buddha and alter the nature of reality.”