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What background knowledge does the promise āIāll buy you dinnerā assume according to John Searle?
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John Searle
American philosopher John Searle, a major contributor to the philosophy of language and the philosophy of mind.
According to American philosopher John Searle, speech acts do not function in isolation; rather, they are embedded within a "Network" of beliefs and a "Background" of capacities that must exist for the act to be successful.1
Regarding the promise "Iāll buy you dinner," Searle explains that this act presupposes a specific set of background knowledge and abilities. Specifically, the speaker must understand:
- What dinner is.
- What money is.
- What restaurants are.
- How to conduct themselves in a restaurant.
- How to eat and drink.1
These unarticulated capacities and mental states form the necessary foundation that allows the illocutionary point of the promise to be served.1