Grice and Auction Bridge

Where I come from, bridge is for ladies. Unless you are Grice. He was a professional, well amateur, bridge player and would compete for Oxfordshire. He played of course auction bridge.

In 1966, Dennis W. Stampe was learning philo at Oxford with Warnock, and he proposed Grice a counterexample to his account of 'implying' and 'meaning' with a bridge-scenario.

"A man is playing bridge against his boss."

"He, U, wants to earn his boss (A)'s favour."

"For this reason he wants A to win"

"And furthermore, U wants A to KNOW that U wants A to win"

("A likes this kind of self-effacement").

"U does NOT, however, want to do anything too blatant."

"Like telling A by worth of mouth."

"And this for fear A's might be offended by U's crudity".

"So, U puts into operation the following scheme"

"When U gets a good hand, U smiles"

"Now, this smile is _very_ like, but not *quite* like a spontaneous, naturally meaning, smile of pleasure".

"U intends A to detect the differnece and to reason as follows"

"1. U's smile was NOT a a genuine
giveaway smile. It was,
rather, the simulation of
such a smile."

"2. That sort of simulation might be
a _bluff_ (on a weak hand)."

"3. But this is bridge, not poker".
"4. Thus, U would NOT want to get
the better of A by such an
impropriety."

"5. So, probably U _does_ have a good
hand."

"6. Plus, U wanting A to win, U is
hoping that A will learn that
U has a good hand."

"7. And this by A's taking U's smile
as a spontaneous giveaway."

"8. Ergo, I won't raise my partner's
bid".

Grice is unimpressed. Surely we wouldn't like to say that 'mean' fits in this devious scheme. And he will achieve that by denying sneaks to fit in!

If that's not the spirit of the true English sportsman I don't know what _is_.

JLS