The main maxim of this socalled speranza is "say anything, induce bullshit.
Apply again."
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Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Grice's Maxims
Kant turned the rather otiose term, 'maxim' into a term of art. He noted that
maxims could be understood as imperatives with an implicated protasis "If you
want to be happy, follow the maxims". He thought that a study of maxims should
lead to an elucidation of the categorical imperative that would supersede
everything that Aristotle had said about ethics. Kant failed, but Kantotle
didn't.
In a message dated 6/11/2015 5:39:21 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
_omarkusto@gmail.com_ (mailto:omarkusto@xxxxxxxxx) cites Grice's Maxims,
"echoing
Kant":
Maxim of Quality
Supermaxim:
Try to make your contribution one that is true
Submaxims:
Do not say what you believe to be false.
Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence.
Maxim of Quantity: Make your contribution as informative as is required (for
the current purposes of the exchange).
Do not make your contribution more informative than is required.
Maxim of Relation: Be Relevant
With respect to this maxim, Grice writes, "Though the maxim itself is terse,
its formulation conceals a number of problems that exercise me a good
deal: questions about what different kinds and focuses of relevance there may
be, how these shift in the course of a talk exchange, how to allow for the
fact that subjects of conversations are legitimately changed, and so on. I
find the treatment of such questions exceedingly difficult, and I hope to
revert to them in later work."[1] Maxim of Manner: Supermaxim:
Be perspicuous
Submaxims:
Avoid obscurity of expression.
Avoid ambiguity.
Be brief (avoid unnecessary prolixity).
Be orderly.
"try to make your contribution one that is true."
Implicature: But don't try TOO hard. After all, Tarski did try hard and see
where that got him: 'snow is white' is true iff snow is white.
"do not say what you believe to be false."
Implicature:
Even if you think YOUR LOVER believes it's true?
It is a well attested fact that, "How does this look on me?" does NOT ask for a
true contribution, but a 'supportive' one.
"do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence."
Implicature:
But don't try too hard: you are not a lawyer (unless you are, as H. L. A.
Hart, who was once, said)
"make your contribution as informative as is required (for the current purposes
of the exchange)."
Implicature: where it's YOU who sets what is required for the current purpose
of your exchange: in other words:be as informative as you WISH!
"do not make your contribution more informative than is required."
Implicature: Especially if you don't want to hear yourself repeating stuff all
over again.
"be relevant."
Implicature: as in "A woman without a man like a fish without a bicycle"
as uttered in a colloquium on fuzzy mathematics.
Grice writes: "Though the maxim itself is terse, its formulation conceals a
number of problems that exercise me a good deal: questions about what
different kinds and focuses of relevance there may be, how these shift in the
course of a talk exchange, how to allow for the fact that subjects of
conversations are legitimately changed, and so on. I find the treatment of
such
questions exceedingly difficult, and I hope to revert to them in later work."
Oddly, Nowell-Smith did not find the treatment of such questions
exceedingly difficult. In his "Ethics", which predates Grice's "Kantian"
lectures on
conversation, he has a single rule, 'be relevant', and none of his readers
never complained for Nowell-Smith being vague, or terse for that matter.
"be perspicuous."
Implicature:
"Perspicuous" is not perspicuous.
"avoid obscurity of expression."
Implicature: be clear, avoid the Dodo's mistake.
'I move that the meeting adjourn, for the immediate adoption of more
energetic remedies', said the Dodo as it solemnly rised to its feet.
'Speak English!' said the Eaglet. 'I don't know the meaning of half those
long words, and, what's more, I don't believe you do either!'
'avoid ambiguity.'
Implicature: even if 'ambiguity' turns to be used very ambiguously in
English -- vide: Empson, "Seven types of ambiguity".
"be brief (avoid unnecessary prolixity)."
Implicature:
"Avoid unnecessary prolixity" is hardly being brief. Kant: have a laugh! A
maxim that contradicts itself!
"be orderly"
Implicature: follow the King's advice to the White Rabbit:
`Where shall I begin, please your Majesty?' the White Rabbit asked.
`Begin at the beginning,' the King said gravely, `and go on till you come
to the end: then stop.'
Omar K. obviates the fact that, as in Kant, maxims make no sense unless
springing from an overarching PRINCIPLE -- the cooperative principle. It's not
just a bunch of as many maxims as you wish, and philosophers should look
at the principle (which is, by definition and etymology, One) rather than at
the multivariety of the maxims (When dealing with the presupposition of
"The king of France ain't bald, since, of course, France is a monarchy" Grice
adds a maxim under the category of Modus:
frame whatever you say in the form most suitable for any reply that would
be regarded as appropriate, or, facilitate in your form of expression the
appropriate reply.
Implicature: do not multiply maxims beyond necessity? Why?
Note also that these are only maxims FOR THE PURPOSE OF GENERATING
conversational implicature. Grice had a few other under his sleeve which did
NOT
serve that purpose: "be polite" -- "all sorts of other maxims (aesthetic,
social, or moral in character)" which would hardly make up for THE principle.
Cheers,
Speranza
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