Session led by Jordan K. Skinner

In 1958 a group of British philosophers held a colloquium at Royaumont, France. One of these philosophers, J.L. Austin, presented a paper that soon caught the eye of the linguist Émile Benveniste who glimpsed a shared affinity between their respective projects: both thought about how “language put into action” could perform an act. This “act”, according to both the philosopher and the linguist, is identical with the utterance of the act. Both were interested in this as a linguistic manifestation, since it must be spoken, and a real fact, insofar as it is the performing of an act. While Benveniste continued to insist on a boundary between “philosophy” and “linguistics” throughout his essay “Analytical Philosophy and Language”, in this seminar session as we discuss what the linguist meant
by langue and parole, and explore his use of terms like “potential” and “act”, the more he might begin to resemble a philosopher. As we discuss his essay “Analytical Philosophy and Language” together, we will continue to consider how it relates to the other essays he grouped under the heading « L’Homme dans le langage ».