[lit-ideas] Why Grice Prefers "To Utter"

From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2014 11:01:53 -0500 (EST)
My last post today.

In a message dated 1/5/2014 4:49:45 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
donalmcevoyuk@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:
Though he says many kind things, like  "Drive carefully, mummy" when his 
mother goes to work, adults who incur his  displeasure (including his mother) 
are frequently admonished "Not coming to my  birthday party" [severest 
punishment in his world]. Recently we were alone  together and, having again 
been 
admonished for some infraction, eventually I  asked "How then would I be 
able to give you your present?" He thought for a few  seconds - then gestured 
'Hold on and watch' with his tiny hands, walked to door,  bent down, made 
motions as if leaving objects there, then looked at me with  voila expression 
to see whether I understood I would be able leave presents at  the door.
 
---
 
Delightful.

One reason behind this may be in Grice's choice of 'utter' rather than  
anything more specific.
 
Grice wants to stick with 'utter', since it seems obvious that utterers  
_mean_ (or 'signify', as the Latinism goes).
 
Note that the 'utterance' (or 'utteratum', as Grice prefers) may not be  
linguistic (in any sense). Still, I think the Griceian is committed to the 
idea  that BEHIND the utterance, there is a psychological attitude (usually 
belief,  but also desire) which SEEMS to have some sort of 'determinate' 
content.
 
Note that McEvoy needs to VERBALISE the content of the 'voilà'  gesture:
 
By uttering [GESTURE G] the utterer means that the addressee should be able 
 to leave presents at the door.
 
Or not of course.
 
Cheers,
 
Speranza
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[lit-ideas] Why Grice Prefers "To Utter"

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