Philosophy Pragmatics Questions Long
In Levinson's relevance theory, implicature plays a crucial role in understanding communication and the process of conveying meaning beyond the literal interpretation of words. Implicature refers to the additional meaning that is implied or inferred by the speaker, even though it may not be explicitly stated.
According to Levinson, communication is a cooperative endeavor where both the speaker and the listener aim to maximize relevance. Relevance is defined as the cognitive effect achieved by the hearer when processing an utterance. In order to achieve relevance, the speaker employs implicature to guide the listener towards the intended meaning.
Implicature operates on the principle of the Cooperative Principle, which suggests that speakers and listeners have a shared understanding of communication and cooperate to make it successful. The Cooperative Principle consists of four maxims: the maxim of quantity (providing enough information), the maxim of quality (being truthful), the maxim of relation (being relevant), and the maxim of manner (being clear and concise). Violations or flouting of these maxims can lead to implicatures.
Levinson distinguishes between two types of implicature: conventional implicature and conversational implicature. Conventional implicature refers to the meaning that is associated with certain words or phrases due to conventional usage. For example, when someone says "John is a bachelor," the conventional implicature is that John is unmarried. This implicature is derived from the conventional meaning of the word "bachelor."
Conversational implicature, on the other hand, arises from the context of the conversation and the cooperative principle. It involves the inference of meaning that goes beyond the literal interpretation of the words used. For instance, if someone says "It's hot in here," the conversational implicature could be that they want someone to open a window or turn on the air conditioning. This implicature is derived from the context and the cooperative principle, as the speaker expects the listener to infer their intended meaning.
Levinson argues that implicatures are crucial for communication because they allow speakers to convey more information efficiently. By relying on implicatures, speakers can avoid being overly explicit and can instead rely on the listener's ability to infer meaning. This is particularly important in situations where time and resources are limited.
Furthermore, implicatures also contribute to the process of relevance. According to Levinson's relevance theory, the hearer's cognitive effort in processing an utterance is proportional to the relevance of the information obtained. Implicatures help in enhancing the relevance of the communicated information by providing additional meaning that goes beyond the literal interpretation.
In conclusion, implicature plays a significant role in Levinson's relevance theory. It allows speakers to convey additional meaning beyond the literal interpretation of words, contributing to the cooperative nature of communication. Implicatures are derived from both conventional usage and the context of the conversation, and they help in maximizing relevance by efficiently conveying information.