Propositional Content

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

The factual or descriptive aspect of an utterance — what it is about, what state of affairs it represents — independently of what the speaker does with it (the illocutionary force)

History and origin

Central to Frege, Russell, and early Wittgenstein; systematised in speech act theory by Searle who distinguished propositional content from illocutionary force

Examples

• 'I promise to return' and 'Will you return?' share propositional content (your returning) but differ in illocutionary force.
• Propositional content is what can be true or false; illocutionary force determines whether it is asserted, questioned, or commanded.

Synonyms: proposition, propositional meaning, content