Abstract
Insincerity is the intentional conflict between a state of mind and a synchronic linguistic act. Three cases have to be distinguished: lying, as the opposition of belief and assertion (the act is untruthful); dishonesty, as the opposition of will and declaration of will (act empty); and simulation, as the opposition of emotion and exclamation (act ungenuine). One of the problems arising is: Are there insincere commands, and if not, why?
Disloyalty, on the other hand, is a diachronic inconsequence, the breach of a linguistic action (act unredeemed) which was binding for the future (such as, e.g. a promise). There is a cross-connection to dishonesty, which can be seen as the will to be disloyal.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Bibliography
Anscombe, G. E. M.: 1957, Intention, Blackwell,Oxford.
Austin, J. L.: 1961, ‘Performative Utterances’, in Austin, Philosophical Papers, Clarendon, Oxford, pp. 220–39. 2 1970, pp. 233–52.
—: 1962a, How to Do Things with Words, Clarendon, Oxford.
—: 1962b, ‘Performatif-Constatif’, in La Philosophie Analytique, Minuit, Paris, pp. 271–81. English translation in C. E. Caton (ed.), Philosophy and Ordinary Language, University of Illinois Press, Urbana, 1963, pp. 22–33.
Baier, A.: 1979, ‘Mind and Change of Mind’, Midwest Studies in Philosophy 4. 157–76.
Falkenberg, G.: 1980, ‘Lying and Truthfulness’, in R. Haller and W. Grassl (eds.), Language, Logic, and Philosophy. Hölder-Pichler-Tempsky, Wien, pp. 328–31.
—: 1982, Lügen. Grundzüge einer sprachlicher Täuschung, Niemeyer, Tübingen.
—: 1985, ‘Glaubwürdigkeit’, in G. Stötlzel (ed.), Germanistik —Forschungsstand und Perspektiven, I, de Gruyter, Berlin, pp. 366–79.
Haight, M. R.: 1980, A Study of Self-Deception, Harvester, Brighton.
Hampshire, S.: 1971, ‘Sincerity and Single-Mindedness’, in Hamsshire, Freedom of Mind, University Press, Princeton, pp. 232–56.
Heal, J.: 1977, ‘Insincerity and Commands’, Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society 77, 183–201.
Keller, R.: 1978, ‘Kollokutionäre Akte’, Germanistische Linguistik 1977. 1–2 [1978], 3–50.
Martin, M. W. (ed.): 1985, Self-Deception and Self-Understanding. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence.
Pears, D.: 1964, ‘Predicting and Deciding’, Proceeding of the British Academy 50, 193–227.
—: 1984, Motivated Irrationality, University Press, Oxford.
Peyre, H.: 1963, Literature and Sincerity, Yale University Press, New Haven.
Reinach, A.: 1913, ‘Die apriorischen Grundlagen des bürgerlichen Rechtes’, Jahrbuch für Philosophie und phänomenologische Forschung 1, 685–847.
Searle, J. R.: 1969, Speech Acts, University Press, Cambridge.
—: 1975, ‘A Taxonomy of Illocutionary Acts’, in K. Gunderson (ed.), Language, Mind, and Knowledge, University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, pp. 344–69.
—: 1983, Intentionality, University Press, Cambridge.
Shibles, W.: 1985, Lying: A Critical Analysis, Language Press, Whitewater.
Solomon, R. C.: 1978, ‘L' Etranger and the Truth’, Philosophy and Literature 2, 141–59.
Trilling, L.: 1972, Sincerity and Authenticity, Harvard University Press, Cambridge.
Willer, A. D. M.: 1978, ‘The Ideal of Sincerity’, Mind 87, 481–97.
Williams, B. A. O.: 1965, Morality and the Emotions, Inaugural Lecture, Bedford College, London. Reprinted in Williams, Problems of the Self, University Press, Cambridge, pp. 207–29.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Falkenberg, G. Insincerity and disloyalty. Argumentation 2, 89–97 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00179143
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00179143