ABSTRACT
The chapter postulates that a theoretical understanding of the utterance is essential when discussing truth, both in relation to disciplinary knowledge and in general. Utterance is defined as an integration of form, content, act, time, and space. Kinds of utterances are termed genres and a model of the relationship between utterance and genre is outlined which serves as a theoretical framework, as ‘lenses’ for investigating discourse. Two educational ‘cases’ are discussed with basis in the framework. Analyses concern tensions between referential content, connected to ‘truth’, and addressive act, connected to morality, assuming that in certain kinds of texts (genres) benefits of acts are prioritised at the expense of truthful reference. Possible tensions between aspects are related to modernism and postmodernism, due to the accusation that postmodernism is a post-truth era, by contributing to fake news, lies, and conspiracy theories, even in academia. In case, the validity of disciplinary knowledge is at risk. It is further demonstrated how utterance theory epistemologically connects didactic, philosophical, and validational triads. Utterance theory can hence be applied discussing validities, when problematising kinds of academic discourse/genres. The chapter ends by highlighting, self-critically, its own argumentative line, concluding that its overall enterprise is both epistemological and methodological.
