The Marginalian · People & society

The Philosophy of Promises and Their Perils

Philosopher J.L. Austin's work explores the nature of promises, distinguishing between false and true promises, and the profound impact of breaking them on self-trust.

Austin, in his lectures adapted into "How to Do Things with Words," categorizes speech acts into five types: verdictives, exercitives, behabitives, expositives, and commissives. Promises fall under commissives, representing declarations of intention that commit the speaker.

A promise is not merely an utterance but an "inward and spiritual act" that obliges the self to a course of action. The core prerequisite is the speaker's intention to keep their word.

Austin identifies "infelicities" that can plague performatives, including promises. These are divided into "misfires" (void acts) and "abuses" (hollow acts), with insincerity being an abuse that makes a promise infelicitous.

For a promise to be felicitous, the speaker must intend to fulfill it, believe it is feasible, and ideally, believe it is advantageous to the recipient.

Performative utterances like "I promise" are not true or false descriptions; saying them, when done correctly, constitutes the act itself.

Austin asserts that our word is our bond, and the ability to keep it is fundamental to self-trust and honorable relationships. In a world of overpromising, keeping one's word is a countercultural act.

When promises are broken, even with good intentions, the individual must seek to make amends and apologize for the self-betrayal, acknowledging human imperfection.

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