Conversational Implicature and Cooperative Principles

Conversational implicature is a type of inference made by the listener based on the context of the conversation. It is not something that is explicitly stated by the speaker, but it is something that the listener can infer from what the speaker says.

The four cooperative principles are Quantity, Quality, Relevance, and Manner. These principles are designed to help speakers and listeners communicate effectively with each other.

The Quantity maxim states that speakers should make their contributions as informative as is required for the current purposes of the exchange. This means that speakers should not say too much or too little, but should say just enough to get their point across.

The Quality maxim states that speakers should not say what they believe to be false. This means that speakers should be honest and truthful in their communication.

The Relevance maxim states that speakers should be relevant to the topic of the conversation. This means that speakers should not say things that are off-topic or irrelevant to the discussion.

The Manner maxim states that speakers should be clear and concise in their communication. This means that speakers should use language that is easy to understand and should avoid using jargon or technical terms that the listener may not be familiar with.

This is an example of a conversational implicature because the speaker is not explicitly stating that they want the listener to open the window, but the listener can infer this from what the speaker says.

This is an example of a violation of the Quantity maxim because the speaker is saying more than is necessary to get their point across. The speaker could simply say "I'm going out" or "I'm leaving," but they choose to say "I'm going to the store," which is more specific than necessary.

This is an example of a violation of the Quality maxim because the speaker is saying something that they know to be false. The speaker knows that the store is closed, but they say "I'm going to the store" anyway.

This is an example of a violation of the Relevance maxim because the speaker is talking about something that is not relevant to the topic of the conversation. The other person is trying to talk about their job, but the speaker is talking about the weather.

This is an example of a violation of the Manner maxim because the speaker is using language that is difficult for the other person to understand. The speaker is using jargon or technical terms that the other person may not be familiar with.

Conversational implicatures are based on the context of the conversation, while conventional implicatures are based on the meaning of the words used. This means that conversational implicatures can be inferred from the context of the conversation, even if the words used do not explicitly state the implicature. Conventional implicatures, on the other hand, can be inferred from the meaning of the words used, even if the context of the conversation does not explicitly state the implicature.

Conversational implicatures are based on the context of the conversation, while presuppositions are based on the shared knowledge of the speakers. This means that conversational implicatures can be inferred from the context of the conversation, even if the speakers do not share the same knowledge. Presuppositions, on the other hand, can only be inferred if the speakers share the same knowledge.

Conversational implicatures are based on the context of the conversation, while entailments are based on the logical structure of the sentence. This means that conversational implicatures can be inferred from the context of the conversation, even if the sentence does not logically entail the implicature. Entailments, on the other hand, can only be inferred if the sentence logically entails the entailment.

Conversational implicatures are based on the context of the conversation, while pragmatic inferences are based on the general knowledge of the world. This means that conversational implicatures can be inferred from the context of the conversation, even if the listener does not have any general knowledge of the world. Pragmatic inferences, on the other hand, can only be inferred if the listener has some general knowledge of the world.