A Pragmatic Analysis of Illocutionary Act In The Dialogues Of “The Courage to be Disliked” Book

The study examines the illocutionary acts found in the dialogue of The Courage to be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga, focusing on how the Philosopher and the Youth use language not only to convey information but also to perform actions and shape their relationship. Employing an embedded mixed-methods design through qualitative content analysis, the study coded the dialogue segments using Searle’s classification of illocutionary acts, Leech’s framework of interpersonal rhetoric, and Yule’s contextual approach. The findings reveal that assertive and directive acts are the most dominant types, reflecting the Philosopher’s explanatory role and the Youth’s tendency to question and challenge. In the interpersonal function, the dialogues are dominant collaborative, with assertive acts building shared understanding and directive acts, particularly the Youth’s questions, functioning more competitively. The study concludes that despite this critical exchange, the dialogues remain fundamentally collaborative, reflecting the horizontal relationship central to Adlerian psychology.