On the Nature of Fiction-Making: Grice or Austin?

Abstract

Only Imagine is a wonderful book. Clear and tersely written, it provides a compelling defence of a rather unpopular view (indeed, one usually dismissed without serious appraisal as a non-contender): namely, extreme intentionalism about the determination of fictional content and the nature of fictionality. It thus unquestionably advances the philosophical debate. It is also a pleasure to read for those of us who like fictions and not just the philosophy thereof: Stock discusses for her arguments many examples from real fictions, systematically making perceptive remarks. Here I will respond to an objection that she makes to the normative account that I have defended in previous work, arguing that it has explanatory advantages grounded on the subordination on that account of author-intentions to fictional contents independently determined by social practices.