Bourdieu and the “magic” of language

Abstract

Understanding language is central to developing a correct theory of society. The work of Pierre Bourdieu Language and Symbolic Power is an example of a certain sociological prejudice regarding the treatment of language as a fundamental topic. This work consists of three parts: the first presents Bourdieu’s criticism of John Longshaw Austin; the
second deals with certain general aspects of the analytical tradition that must be analyzed by contemporary sociology; the last part will be dedicated to defending the Austinian theory of speech acts.