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Single Idea 7752

[filed under theme 19. Language / A. Nature of Meaning / 3. Meaning as Speaker's Intention ]

Full Idea

Only what I may call the primary intention of an utterer is relevant to the (non-natural) meaning of an utterance.

Gist of Idea

Only the utterer's primary intention is relevant to the meaning

Source

H. Paul Grice (Meaning [1957], p.47)

Book Ref

'Philosophical Logic', ed/tr. Strawson,P.F. [OUP 1973], p.47

A Reaction

This sounds okay for simple statements, but gets really tricky with complex statements, such as very ironic remarks delivered to an audience of diverse people.

The 14 ideas from H. Paul Grice

13856 Conditionals are truth-functional, but we must take care with misleading ones [Grice, by Edgington]
8948 The odd truth table for material conditionals is explained by conversational conventions [Grice, by Fisher]
13767 Conditionals might remain truth-functional, despite inappropriate conversational remarks [Edgington on Grice]
14277 A person can be justified in believing a proposition, though it is unreasonable to actually say it [Grice, by Edgington]
7751 Meaning needs an intention to induce a belief, and a recognition that this is the speaker's intention [Grice]
7752 Only the utterer's primary intention is relevant to the meaning [Grice]
7753 We judge linguistic intentions rather as we judge non-linguistic intentions, so they are alike [Grice]
22330 Grice said patterns of use are often semantically irrelevant, because it is a pragmatic matter [Grice, by Glock]
18045 Grice's maxim of quality says do not assert what you believe to be false [Grice, by Magidor]
18044 Grice's maxim of manner requires one to be as brief as possible [Grice, by Magidor]
18046 Grice's maxim of quantity says be sufficiently informative [Grice, by Magidor]
10990 Conditionals are truth-functional, but unassertable in tricky cases? [Grice, by Read]
10991 Key conversational maxims are 'quality' (assert truth) and 'quantity' (leave nothing out) [Grice, by Read]
22140 The greatest philosophers are methodical; it is what makes them great [Grice]