Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis relates Christian ethics to the presence of the kingdom of God in Jesus’ sayings and to its real meaning and application by reconsidering the religious language of the kingdom of God from the perspective of the Speech Act Theory (SAT). In SAT, the Christian ethical approach to the presence of the kingdom in Jesus’ sayings is not only aimed at reconstructing meanings of the ethics of the kingdom in the form of a propositional morality theme. It also aims at reconstructing the Christian life as the performance of the ethics of the kingdom in daily life, that is, in terms of the presence of God’s kingdom in Jesus’ utterances and its witness. Christians do not merely assert certain facts about God’s sovereignty or God’s kingdom; they address God in the act of committing themselves to God’s kingdom and applying their minds to its righteousness. Since Christian ethics depends on the message of the kingdom proclaimed by Jesus, the essence of interpretation in Christian ethics is therefore to recognize the illocutionary act in the Bible. In SAT, only illocution is able to determine meaning and to act. It also creates the perlocutionary act as an appropriate response in the believer such as trust or obedience. The living Triune God is still speaking to us through Scripture – not in past stories but in the present in order to fulfil God’s will and God’s kingdom. This indicates that Jesus’ preaching about the kingdom of God focuses on what we should do or how we should live as Christians. The Bible is not supposed to be interpreted only in an academic context but should also be performed by the people of God. Consequently, the Christian community should try to discover the momentum and function of the text in order to build up the people of God to live in the world and to participate in the activities of the kingdom of God, not as spectators but as active participants in the present world. It also tells us who God is, and how we ought to live in relation to that God. Christian communities are called to institute policies that alter the settings in which the interpretation of Scripture takes place. In this way, Christian ethics can map out a new moral sensibility and specific directions through the presence of the kingdom of God in the light of SAT. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis vergelyk Christelike etiek met die teenwoordigheid van die koninkryk van God in Jesus se uitsprake en die ware betekenis en toepassing daarvan deur die heroorweging van die godsdienstige taal van die koninkryk van God vanuit die perspektief van Spraak Daad Teorie (“Speech Act Theory (SAT)”). Volgens SAT is die Christelike etiese benadering tot die teenwoordigheid van die koninkryk in Jesus se uitsprake nie net daarop gemik om die betekenisse van koninkryk-etiek te rekonstrueer in die vorm van ʼn proposionele moraliteit-tema nie. Die doel is ook die rekonstruksie van die Christelike lewe as die uitvoering van koninkryk-etiek in die alledaagse lewe, dit wil sê in terme van die teenwoordigheid van die koninkryk van God in Jesus se uitsprake en getuienis. Christene stel nie bloot bepaalde feite oor God se heerskappy of God se koninkryk nie; hulle spreek God aan in die daad van hulself toewy aan die koninkryk van God en hul gedagtes rig op die regverdigheid van dié koninkryk. Aangesien Christelike etiek berus op die koninkryk-boodskap wat Jesus verkondig het, is die essensie van interpretasie in Christelike etiek dus die erkenning van die illokusionele daad in die Bybel. Met SAT kan illokusie bepaal en ook optree beteken. Dit skep ook die perlokusionêre daad as ʼn toepaslike reaksie deur gelowiges, soos vertroue of gehoorsaamheid. Die lewende Drie-enige God spreek steeds deur die Skrif – nie deur stories in die verlede nie, maar in die hede, om God se wil te vervul en God se koninkryk te laat kom. Dit dui aan dat Jesus se prediking oor die koninkryk van God fokus op wat ons behoort te doen of hoe ons as Christene behoort te leef. Die Bybel is nie veronderstel om net in ʼn akademiese konteks geïnterpreteer te word nie, maar moet ook deur God se mense uitgevoer word. Gevolglik behoort die Christelike gemeenskap te probeer om die momentum en funksie van die teks te ontdek, met die oog daarop om God se mense op te bou om in die wêreld te leef en aan die aktiwiteite van die koninkryk van God deel te neem – nie as toeskouers nie, maar as aktiewe deelnemers in die wêreld vandag. Dit vertel ons ook wie God is, en hoe ons behoort te leef in verhouding tot dié God. Christelike gemeenskappe word geroep om beleide in te stel wat die stellings verander waarbinne Skrifinterpretasie plaasvind. Op hierdie wyse kan Christelike etiek ʼn nuwe morele aanvoeling en spesifieke aanwysings deur die teenwoordigheid van die koninkryk van God in die lig van SAT karteer.

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This thesis represents an attempt to show how recent research in pragmatic theory can contribute to our understanding of humour. Two inferential theories have been selected: speech act theory and relevance theory. In addition, I have looked at the modification of the speech act model proposed by Leech. An exposition of each theory is followed by an account of how these theories can be applied to humour. Some research into humour has already been carried out using the speech act model. This is described and evaluated. For Leech's extension of that model, and for the relevance-theoretic model, there is virtually no existing research on which to draw. Consequently, both the application of these theories to humour, and their evaluation thereof, are my own. Speech act accounts of humour are based on the notion that humorous utterances are unconventional and unpredictable. One way of exploiting our expectations, and thereby creating a condo effect, it is argued, is to violate the norms of conversation (that is to say, Grice's maxims and Searle's conditions). This analysis is found to be insufficient, on its own, to distinguish between the humorous and the non-humorous utterance. I will show how the unpredictable, unconventional remark can be used to create a number of different effects, some humorous, some nonhumorous. Maxim violation is thus seen to be inadequate, both as a descriptive and as an explanatory tool. Relevance theory constitutes a radical departure from the whole maxim-based framework. Adopting this approach to the analysis of verbal humour, I will try to find out exactly what is going on in our minds when we interpret humorously intended utterances. I will identify the various processes which I believe are employed in the appreciation of verbal jokes, and will conclude that these processes are not unique to humour. In spite of this, I will claim that there is a sense in which verbal humour can be said to be unique.

This thesis describes a theoretical framework for modelling cooperative dialogue. The linguistic theory is a version of speech act theory adopted from Cohen and Levesque, in which dialogue utterances are generated and interpreted pragmatically in the context of a theory of rational interaction. The latter is expressed as explicitly and formally represented principles of rational agenthood and cooperative interaction. The focus is the development of strategic principles of multi-agent interaction as such a basis for cooperative dialogue. In contrast to the majority of existing work, these acknowledge the Positive role of conflict to multi-agent cooperation. and make no assumptions regarding the benevolence and sincerity of agents. The result is a framework wherein agents can resolve conflicts by negotiation. It is a preliminary stage to the future building of computer models of cooperative dialogue for both HCI and DAI, which will therefore be more widely and generally applicable than those currently in existence. The theory of conflict and cooperation is expressed in the different patterns of mental states which characterise multi-agent conflict, cooperation and indifference as three alternative postural relations. Agents can recognise and potentially create these. Dialogue actions are the strategic tools with which mental states can be manipulated, whilst acknowledging that agents are autonomous over their mental states; they have control over what they acquire and reveal in dialogue. Strategic principles of belief and goal adoption are described in terms of the relationships between autonomous agents' beliefs, goals, preferences, and interests, and the relation of these to action. Veracity, mendacity, concealing and revealing are defined as properties of acts. The role of all these elements in reasoning about dialogue action and conflict resolution, is tester in analyses of two example dialogues; a record of a real trade union negotiation and an extract from "Othello" by Shakespeare.

<p> In this dissertation I examine a distinction made in Speech Act Theory between normal uses of language and uses of language that are said to be parasitic on them. Fictional, theatrical, comedic and metaphoric uses of language may be said to be parasitic on normal language in so far as their intelligibility requires a prior grasp of the rules or conventions of normal language such as is used in everyday cases of asserting, promising, marrying and ordering, for instance.</p> <p> Jacques Derrida argued that uses of language could not be determined as exclusively either normal or parasitic and that thus such a distinction could not be made. That is, he argued that it was not possible to make a distinction between fictional promises and real life promises, for instance; or between literal uses of words and metaphorical uses. I show that the distinction can be made and that, although uses of language cannot be determined as exclusively either normal or parasitic in the work of J. L. Austin, they can be in that of John R. Searle. </p> <p> In arguing for this thesis, I show how Searle, in his attempt to defend Austin and Speech Act Theory against Derrida's criticisms, failed to appreciate many aspects of Derrida's work and thus misconstrued his critique and defended Austin and Speech Act Theory against somewhat of a straw man. </p> / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

In this project, I analyze women's humor in three of Jane Austen's novels: Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and Emma. Using speech-act theory, I specifically examine Elizabeth's, Emma's, and Mary's utterances to demonstrate that in order for humorous utterances to be subversive, they must challenge societal or patriarchal constructs (religion, misogynist men, marriage, the feminine ideal) and do so artfully. An indirect speech act--a play on words, an insult, even a laugh--is often far more effective than a more direct one, especially when wielded by characters for whom a direct antagonistic speech act would have severe social consequences. When those socially-sanctioned and highly-regulated speech acts--marriages, wills, introductions, invitations, letters, titles--are less accessible or less beneficial to women, only indirect speech acts remain a viable option. / Master of Arts

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This dissertation proposes that the church plays an active role in the salvation of its members through the proclamation of the gospel. Chapter 1 introduces the topic of the dissertation by positioning it within its current academic and nonacademic context. It then details the thesis and methodology of the dissertation. Chapter 2 demonstrates that the church is viewed as playing an active role in the salvation of believers in church history. It examines the relationship between the soteriology and ecclesiology of four theologians who have significantly influenced the protestant reformed trajectory: Cyprian, Augustine, Luther, Calvin. It argues that through their usage of the "church as mother motif," Cyprian, Augustine, Luther, and Calvin view the church as having an active role in salvation. Chapter 3 provides working definitions of the gospel and the church. It defines the gospel as the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin based upon 1 Corinthians 15:3-5. Chapter 3 proceeds by defining the church as the regenerate people of God who have accepted the gospel message by faith in Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. Chapter 4 contends through scriptural exegesis that the proclamation of the gospel creates members of the church. The scriptural exegesis in this chapter goes in canonical order and focuses on exegeting passages that are recognized as being important in understanding the church's formation. It concludes with a summary of the scriptural data. Chapter 5 also argues through scriptural exegesis the church is the instrument that God uses to proclaim the gospel. Like Chapter 4, it focuses on exegeting recognized passages that indicate the church's instrumental role in the proclamation of the gospel. It also concludes with a summary of the scriptural data. Chapter 6 formulates systematically the scriptural data from Chapters 4 and 5 into a reciprocal relationship between the gospel and the church. Chapter 6 then frames the reciprocal relationship between the gospel and the church in terms of speech act theory. First, it briefly defines speech act theory and discusses why it can be applied to the reciprocal relationship between the gospel and the church. It then develops a speech act formulation of the reciprocal relationship in which the church proclaims both the locution and illocution of the gospel message and the Spirit creates the church, which is the perlocutionary effect of the church's gospel proclamation. It concludes by briefly detailing some of the theological implications of this formulation. Chapter 7 offers a conclusion to the dissertation in which the arguments from Chapters 1 to 6 are summarized. It then proposes areas for further research. It concludes by offering some potential applications of the speech act formulation of the reciprocal relationship between the gospel and the church to the current evangelical church.

With industry expanding and new technologies booming, more and more, IS Department use team approach to increase their competitiveness and to reach their targets. Project is a special formation with clear mission, target and timeline. Within nine major knowledge territories of Project Management, communication management is the most time consuming for Project Managers. Besides, Projects rely heavily on team members' cooperation to proceed; thus, how to provide a good and effective communication channel is a major factor for successful projects. This research use J&#x00FC;rgen Habermas's Theory of Communicative Action as main approch thourgh out Project Management and Communication Management. The main purpose of this research is to: 1: Finding Project's validity basis thematize and the mode of communication. 2: Finding the rational communication method, which allows both parties to identify themselves toward the goal, and increases the success of Project Manager's leading effort. This research showed the Project Manager use communication management to thematize the truth claim to gain the trust of team members to move along with the project. And also Project Manager will use communication management to emphasize the truthfulness claim of him or herself to get them heard. This will gain the recognition from team members to get the project to reach its goal. Moreover, this research also use the basic conversation for action to find the successfully communication method in IS project and to provide the Project Managers ways to establish effective communication methods.