Philosophy Pragmatics Questions Long
Implicature plays a crucial role in relevance theory, a pragmatic framework developed by Dan Sperber and Deirdre Wilson. Relevance theory focuses on the process of communication and how meaning is derived from utterances in context. Implicature refers to the additional meaning that is conveyed indirectly, beyond the literal meaning of the words used.
In relevance theory, implicatures are seen as a result of the inferential process that occurs during communication. When a speaker produces an utterance, the hearer engages in a process of cognitive inference to derive the intended meaning. This inference involves accessing contextual information, background knowledge, and the principle of relevance, which states that individuals seek to maximize relevance in their communication.
Implicatures arise when the hearer recognizes that the speaker's utterance is more informative or relevant than what is explicitly stated. This recognition occurs through the process of explicature, where the hearer constructs a proposition that is explicitly communicated by the speaker. However, the hearer also recognizes that the speaker's intention goes beyond this explicit proposition, leading to the derivation of implicatures.
Relevance theory distinguishes between two types of implicatures: generalized and particularized implicatures. Generalized implicatures are based on conventional implicatures, which are associated with specific linguistic expressions. For example, the word "but" in a sentence often implicates a contrast between two propositions. These implicatures are derived through the recognition of the conventional meaning of the linguistic expression.
On the other hand, particularized implicatures are context-dependent and arise from the speaker's intention to communicate something beyond the explicit meaning. These implicatures are derived through the process of pragmatic enrichment, where the hearer infers the speaker's intended meaning based on the relevance of the implicature in the given context.
Implicatures are crucial in relevance theory because they contribute to the overall communicative effect of an utterance. They allow speakers to convey more information indirectly, avoiding explicitness and redundancy. By relying on implicatures, speakers can communicate efficiently and effectively, while hearers can derive richer meanings from the utterances.
Furthermore, implicatures also play a role in the process of interpretation and comprehension. Hearers actively engage in the inferential process to derive implicatures, which leads to a more complete understanding of the speaker's intended meaning. This process of inference and implicature derivation is guided by the principle of relevance, as hearers strive to maximize the relevance of the communicated information.
In conclusion, implicature plays a significant role in relevance theory by allowing speakers to convey additional meaning indirectly and by guiding the inferential process of hearers. Implicatures contribute to the overall communicative effect and help in the efficient and effective exchange of information. By recognizing and deriving implicatures, hearers can achieve a more complete understanding of the speaker's intended meaning.