A critical examination of speech act theory, especially Austin's, Searle's and Grice's versions. By applying speech act theory to an investigation of the concept of 'communication' L. intends to reveal its limitations. He argues that the antinomy between the nature and function of language (i.e. between meaning and the activity of speaking) inherent in the concept of communication, is not resolved by speech act theory; its conceptual distinctions (i.e. locutions, illocutions, perlocutions) are said to be empty as an explanation of communication. Therefore, L. proposes an alternative to its method of 'analysis', viz. a phenomenological approach, to specify the concept 'communication'.