Cooperation and Conversational Implicatures

Cooperation and Conversational Implicatures

1. The cooperative principle

   • "A hamburger is just a hamburger"
     • "Boys will be boys"
       • "Business is business"
   • tautology
     • secondary piece of info is redundant because it's already included in phrase
     • Speaker intends to communicate something other than meaning
     • There is an implicature
       • More is being communicated than what is said
       • To interpret implication, we must be cooperative
   • Grice (1913-88)
     • Language doesn't just express meaning, it also implies reading
     • The maxims can clash. Ie, do we go for truth or information?
       • Don't want to lie, but also want to give enough information
         • Writer is still cooperative?
   • indirectness
     • omission
   • conversational implicature
     • additional, intentional but unstated meaning
     • an implication rising out of a particular context
     • "Is the Pope Catholic?"
     • sarcasm
     • implications are generated by flouting the maxims
       • non-observance of maxims whilst still being cooperative
         • we assume cooperation
           • This is Presupposition
         • because we assume that they know that the maxims are being flouted
       • two mechanisms
         • standard implicature
           • the speaker is doing their best to follow the cooperative principle
             • meaning not directly obvious
               • but we can work it out
         • deliberate flouting
           • obvious flouting
             • but speaker isn't opting out of cp
   • The Four Maxims
     • Quality
       • Do not say what you believe to be false
       • give adequate evidence
     • Quantity
       • Make your contribution as informative as is required
       • But don't give too much info
     • Relation
       • Be relevant
     • Manner
       • Be perspicuous
         • express yourself clearly
       • Avoid obscure expression
       • avoid ambiguity
       • be brief
       • be orderly
   • Not what we "should" do, but what we do do
     • assumptions, not prescriptions

2. uncooperative speech

   • violation of maxims
     • to deceive
   • infringement of maxims
     • conversationally inept: shy, tired, drunk, second language user, language disorder etc
   • opting out of maxims
     • priests, lawqyers, psychiatrists, politicians
     • ethical, legal reasons
   • they don't know maxims are being violated