• Korean journal of communication and information
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• v.69
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• pp.30-70
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• 2015

This paper is to show the relationship between power and communication. For this purpose, speech act theory has been introduced. Power is the capacity of some persons to produce intended effects on others. And the human being tries to get intended effects by perlocutionary acts through performing illocutionary acts, both of which belong to speech acts. Generally speaking, therefore, it can be said power is exercised through speech acts. Of course, in case of exercising physical force or violence, no speech act is needed. However, even violence is not totally unrelated with communication. Moreover, power other than violence is always in need of speech acts for its exercise. Including psychic force, power in general is in a close relationship with communication by mediation of speech acts. This paper, using speech act theory, attempts to examine that what is the relationship power and communication hold, that the exercise of power is the same as performing speech acts called perlocutionary acts, that the form of power is differentiated by kinds of illocutionary acts used for its exercise, and that morality of power is different according to illocutionary acts used for its exercise.