Research Group
in Analytic Philosophy

Abstract

The recent fifteen years have seen a rapidly increasing number of papers on the topic of norms of assertion. It is assumed that the speech act type of assertion is governed by a norm governing assertions as such, sometimes characterized as constitutive of assertion. Typically, such a norm lays down the conditions under which an assertion is permissible. A multitude of different norms have been proposed to have this role. Intuitions have been adduced both as supporting norm accounts and as counterexamples to norm accounts. Intuitions have also been dismissed tracking the wrong properties. In this talk I take a critical look at the area, with a focus on the question of intuitive support.