Written in an outstandingly clear and lively style, this 1969 book provokes its readers to rethink issues they may have regarded as long since settled.

Part I. A Theory of Speech Acts: 1. Methods and scope; 2. Expressions, meaning and speech acts; 3. The structure of illocutionary acts; 4. Reference as a speech act; 5. Predication; Part II. Some Applications of the Theory: 6. Three fallacies in contemporary philosophy; 7. Problems of reference; 8. Deriving 'ought' from 'is'; Index.