Communicative Principle and Communication

Abstract

Recent pragmatic theories agree that the decisive feature of human verbal communication is its inferential nature. Out of the three main elements of inferential intention-recognition: meaning of utterances, contextual and background assumptions, and communicative principles, the latter has generated most debate. Cooperation and relevance have emerged as a possible basis for a communicative principle that regulates verbal communication. According to Grice and neo-Gricean researchers, inferential intention-recognition is governed by a cooperative principle and maxims, which speakers are expected to observe. the supporters of the relevance theory argued that cooperation is not essential to communication, and suggested a reduction of Grice's maxims to a single principle of relevance. According to their view, a rational speaker will choose an utterance that will provide the hearer with a maximum number of contextual implications in a minimum processing effort.