Philosophy Pragmatics Questions Medium
Implicature is a concept in pragmatics that refers to the meaning conveyed indirectly or implicitly in a conversation, beyond the literal or explicit meaning of the words used. It is a form of inference that relies on shared knowledge, context, and the cooperative principle of conversation.
Conversational implicature analysis is a method used to identify and understand implicatures in a conversation. It involves examining the context, speaker intentions, and the cooperative principles at play to uncover the implied meaning behind the words spoken.
Grice's Cooperative Principle is a fundamental principle in conversational implicature analysis. It states that in a conversation, participants are expected to be cooperative and contribute information that is relevant, truthful, clear, and concise. Violations of this principle can lead to implicatures.
There are two types of implicatures: conventional and conversational implicatures. Conventional implicatures are implied meanings that are associated with specific words or phrases. For example, when someone says "John is a bachelor," the conventional implicature is that John is unmarried.
Conversational implicatures, on the other hand, are implied meanings that arise from the context and the cooperative principles of conversation. These implicatures are not tied to specific words or phrases but are inferred based on the speaker's intentions and the shared knowledge between participants.
Grice proposed four maxims that guide conversational implicature analysis: the maxim of quantity (providing enough information), the maxim of quality (providing truthful information), the maxim of relation (providing relevant information), and the maxim of manner (being clear and avoiding ambiguity). Violations or flouting of these maxims can lead to implicatures.
For example, if someone asks, "Do you have any plans for the weekend?" and the response is "I have a lot of work to do," the implicature is that the person does not have any plans for the weekend. This implicature is derived from the violation of the maxim of relation, as the response does not provide relevant information about the person's plans.
In conclusion, implicature is a concept in pragmatics that refers to the implied meaning in a conversation beyond the literal words used. Conversational implicature analysis involves examining the context, speaker intentions, and cooperative principles to uncover these implied meanings. It is a valuable tool for understanding the richness and complexity of communication beyond the surface level.