Philosophy Pragmatics Questions Long
In Carston's pragmatics, implicature refers to a type of meaning that is derived from the context in which a particular utterance is made. It goes beyond the literal meaning of the words used and involves the inference or assumption made by the speaker or listener based on the context and the speaker's intentions.
Carston argues that implicatures are not part of the conventional meaning of words or sentences, but rather arise from the way language is used in specific situations. Implicatures can be seen as a form of indirect communication, where the speaker conveys additional information beyond what is explicitly stated.
One of the key ideas in Carston's approach is the distinction between explicature and implicature. Explicature refers to the explicit meaning of an utterance, which is derived from the conventional meaning of the words used and the syntactic structure of the sentence. On the other hand, implicature involves the additional meaning that is inferred from the context and the speaker's intentions.
Carston proposes a relevance-theoretic approach to implicature, which emphasizes the role of relevance in communication. According to this approach, speakers aim to communicate information that is relevant to the listener's cognitive context. Implicatures are seen as a way to achieve this relevance by conveying additional information that is not explicitly stated.
Implicatures can be categorized into two types: conventional implicatures and conversational implicatures. Conventional implicatures are derived from specific linguistic conventions or rules, such as the use of certain words or expressions. For example, the use of the word "but" in a sentence often implies a contrast or contradiction. Conversational implicatures, on the other hand, are derived from the cooperative principle of conversation, which assumes that speakers and listeners cooperate to achieve effective communication. Conversational implicatures arise from the violation or exploitation of this principle, such as when a speaker deliberately provides incomplete or ambiguous information to convey a particular meaning.
Carston's approach to implicature highlights the dynamic nature of communication and the importance of context in understanding meaning. It recognizes that meaning is not solely determined by the words used, but also by the intentions and assumptions of the speaker and the listener. By considering implicatures, Carston's pragmatics provides a more comprehensive account of how meaning is constructed and interpreted in real-life communication situations.