H.W Ch.2 (Ph)

Though easy to state, the rule is not easy to explain, because relevance itself is a difficult notion. It is, however, easy to illustrate. If someone asks me where he can find a doctor, I might reply that there is a hospital on the next block. Though not a direct answer to the question, it does not violate the rule of Relevance because it provides a piece of useful information. If, however, in response I tell the person that I like his haircut, then I have violated the rule of Relevance. Clear-cut violations of this principle often involve changing the subject.

Another rule concerns the manner of our conversation. We are expected to be clear in what we say. Under the general rule of Manner come various special rules:

1. Avoid obscurity of expression. 2. Avoid ambiguity. 3. Be brief. 4. Be orderly.

As an example of the fourth part of this rule, when describing a series of events, it is usually important to state them in the order in which they oc- curred. It would certainly be misleading to say that two people had a child and got married when, in fact, they had a child after they were married.

Many other rules govern our conversations. “Be polite!” is one of them. “Be charitable!” is another. That is, we should put the best interpretation on what others say, and our replies should reflect this. We should avoid quib- bling and being picky. For the most part, however, we will not worry about these other rules.

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CHAPTER 2 ■ The Web of Language

Indicate which, if any, of Grice’s conversational rules are violated by the itali- cized sentence of each of the following conversations. Assume a standard con- text. More than one rule might be violated.

1. “What did you get on the last test?” “A grade.” 2. “Did you like her singing?” “Her costume was beautiful.” 3. “The governor has the brains of a three-year-old.” 4. “The Lone Ranger rode into the sunset and jumped on his horse.” 5. “Without her help, we’d be up a creek without a paddle.” 6. “Where is Palo Alto?” “On the surface of the Earth.” 7. “It will rain tomorrow.” “How do you know?” “I just guessed.” 8. “Does the dog need to go out for a W-A-L-K [spelled out]?” 9. “Why did the chicken cross the road?” “To get to the other side.”

Exercise VII Note: When the book says “assume a standard context” that means try to avoid imagining possibilities for what is happening that are special circumstances. You don’t have to consider what meaning would exist for all possible contexts.

All the instructions require is the Gricean Maxim getting violated. If you want to try explaining your answers to yourself, that would be good practice!

General Reminder Note for the Chapter:

On the exam, I will be asking you 5 questions: -What is the literal meaning? -What is the Speech Act? -What is the implied meaning? -What is the Conversational Act? -How is the implication generated?

that depend on the rule of Relevance. Someone says, “Dinner’s ready,” and that is immediately taken to be a way of asking people to come to the table. Why? Because dinner’s being ready is a transparent reason to come to the table to eat. This is an ordinary context that most people are familiar with. Change the context, however, and the conversational implications can be en- tirely different. Suppose the same words, “Dinner’s ready,” are uttered when guests have failed to arrive on time. In this context, the conversational implication, which will probably be reflected in an annoyed tone of voice, will be quite different.

To cite another example of context dependence, if someone says, “I broke a finger,” people will naturally assume that it is the speaker’s own finger that was broken. Why? Because when people break fingers, it is almost al- ways their own fingers that they break. That is the standard context in which this remark is made. If, however, we shift the context, that conversational implication can be lost and another can take its place. Suppose the speaker is a mobster in an extortion racket, that is, someone who physically harms people who do not pay protection money. Among his fellow extortionists, the conversational implication of “I broke a finger” is likely to be that it was someone who refused to pay up who had his finger broken. (We can imag- ine the extortionist canceling this implication by saying, “No, no, it was my finger that got broken when I slugged the guy.”)

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Conversat ional Acts

Assuming a natural conversational setting, what might a person intend to con- versationally imply by making the following remarks? Using the methods we've been learning in class explain why each of these conversational implications holds; that is, explain the relationship between what the speaker literally says and what the speaker intends to convey through conversational implication by answering our five questions for analysis.

1. It’s getting a little chilly in here. (Said by a visitor in your home) 2. Do you mind if I borrow your pen? (Said to a friend while studying) 3. We are out of soda. (Said by a child to her parents) 4. I got here before he did. (Said in a ticket line) 5. Don’t blame me if you get in trouble. (Said by someone who advised you

not to do it) 6. Has this seat been taken? (Said in a theater before a show) 7. These sweet potatoes are very filling. (Said when the cook asks if you

want more) 8. Don’t ask me. (Said in response to a question) 9. Does your dog bite? (Said to a man standing next to a dog)

10. I will be out of town that day. (Said in response to a party invitation)

Exercise VIII

There are a few questions you have to answer here. Treat them one at a time. Here they are clearly separated for you.

o Third, define what you think the implied meaning is (this will be the intended message the speaker is trying to convey)

o Fifth, explain how the implied meaning is capable of being generated by the literal meaning. (you’ll need to identify the literal meaning first to help you answer this!)

Remember from class how providing this explanation requires explaining (A) which Gricean Maxims are being violated and how (B) how the implied meaning resolves that violation and (C) what background assumptions your relying on in your interpretation.

o First, define what you think the literal meaning is (this will be like a message only informed by dictionary definitions and grammar rules)

o Second, define what you think the speech act is (your answer will take the form of a verb or list of verbs)

o Fourth, define what you think the conversational act is (this will be like the speech act in that it will take the form of a verb but also include what you think are the speaker's intentions/ motives/purposes/goals are)

(cont. on the right margin...)

We can intentionally violate the rule of Relevance by pointedly changing the subject. Here is variation on another one of Grice’s examples:

Standing outside a classroom, A says, “Professor X is a moron.” There is a moment of shocked silence; then B says, “Nice day, isn’t it?”

A would have to be fairly dim not to realize that Professor X, whom he has just called a moron, may be somewhere nearby. Why else would B reply in such an irrelevant manner? So in saying, “Nice day, isn’t it?” B conversation- ally implies that Professor X is nearby.

Winston Churchill reportedly provided a famous example of intention- ally violating the rule of Manner. When criticized for ending a sentence with a preposition, he is said to have replied, “That is the type of criticism up with which I will not put.”

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Conversat ional Acts

These sentences appeared in Exercise VII. For each, explain what the speaker is conversationally implying and how that conversational implication is generated.

1. “What did you get on the last test?” “A grade.” 2. “Did you like her singing?” “Her costume was beautiful.” 3. “The governor has the brains of a three-year-old.” 4. “Does the dog need to go out for a W-A-L-K [spelled out]?”

Exercise IX

For each of the following paired questions and answers, what do the answers conversationally imply in a normal context? Explain why these conversational implications hold. (Try to rely on the content of what is said, rather than on the tone of voice in which it is uttered. In particular, don’t think of these remarks being uttered with heavy sarcasm.)

1. Are you going to vote for a Republican? I just might. 2. Are you going to vote for a Republican? You can bet on it. 3. Are you going to vote for a Republican? Not unless hell freezes over. 4. Are you going to vote for a Republican? Don’t be silly. 5. Are you going to vote for a Republican? I am voting for an independent. 6. Are you going to vote for a Republican? There is no other choice. 7. Did you vote for a Republican? Maybe yes, maybe no. 8. Did you vote for a Republican? I voted for the winner.

Exercise X

The instructions here are exactly the same as what I wanted you to do for Exercise VIII.

Same here.