What’s the Linguistic Meaning of Delusional Utterances? Speech Act Theory as a Tool for Understanding Delusions

Delusions have traditionally been considered the hallmark of mental illness, and their conception, diagnosis treatment raise many fundamental conceptual practical questions psychopathology. One these is whether delusions are understandable. In this paper, we propose to consider question understandability from a philosophy language perspective. For purpose, frame how can be understood as about meaning delusional utterances. Accordingly, ask: “what meaning(s) utterances possibly have?”. We argue that in current literature, there standard approach utterances, namely descriptive account which assumes utterance “p” means p case. Drawing on Speech Act Theory, solely relying disregards essential ways linguistic constituted. Further, show Theory prove helpful addition theoretical clinical “toolbox” used for attempting understand This, believe, may address some shortcomings using only currently predominant account.