Pragmatic Theory by Grice Maxims

Grice’s Conversational Maxims

 H. Paul Grice (1975, “Logic and conversation.” In Cole, P., and J.L. Morgan, eds. Speech Acts. New York: Academic Press, 41–58) was interested in the everyday use of logic. Formal logic embodies a set of axioms that allows lawful deductions. 

1. Formal Logic

 For example, a simply syllogism like:

 All psycholinguists are clever.

 Jim is a psycholinguist.

 Implies (makes the implication), that is, allows us to infer (or make the inference): Jim is clever.

2. Conversational Logic 

If I say, Can you be quiet? 

what inference do you draw? If a colleague asks me how a student did in class, and I reply, She always came to class on time and her penmanship was very neat.

 what inference do you draw? 

WHAT IS THE LOGICAL BASIS FOR THESE INFERENCES?

 The Cooperative Principle Grice suggested that conversation is based on a shared principle of cooperation, something like: “Make your conversational contribution what is required, at the stage at which it occurs, by the accepted purpose or direction of the talk exchange in which you are engaged.

” This principle was fleshed out in a series of maxims. 

Grice’s Maxims Maxims of Quantity: 

1. “Make your contribution as informative as required.”

 2. “Don’t make your contribution more informative than is required.”

 Maxims of Quality: Be truthful. 

1. “Don’t say what you believe to be false.”

 2. “Don’t say what you lack adequate evidence for.” 

Grice’s Maxims, cont’d Maxim of Relation: “Be relevant.” Maxims of Manner: “Be perspicuous.” 

1. “Avoid obscurity of expression.” 

2. “Avoid ambiguity.” 

3. “Be brief (avoid unnecessary prolixity).” 

4. “Be orderly.” 

Implicatures These maxims (or, more precisely, their violation) form the basis for inferences that we draw in conversation, which Grice called implicatures (to distinguish them from formal logical implications). 

Grice asserted that different ways of violating these maxims give rise to different types of implicatures