A serious study as to why the conversational categories, as with Kant's categories in general, had to be FOUR

HOW TO GENERALIZE GRICE'S THEORY OF CONVERSATION.
Authors:ROLF, ECKARD
Source:Manuscrito: Revista Internacional de Filosofia, 12(1), 55-69. 15 p. April 1989.
Document Type:Journal Article
Subjects:CONVERSATION
LANGUAGE
Persons as Subjects:GRICE, H P
Abstract:GRICE'S THEORY OF CONVERSATION IS DESIGNED FOR A KIND OF TALK WHOSE PURPOSE IS A MAXIMALLY EFFECTIVE EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION. THIS SPECIFICATION IS TOO NARROW, IF OTHER KINDS OF TALK ARE ANALYZED. AS GRICE HIMSELF HAS POINTED OUT, HIS THEORY THEREFORE NEEDS TO BE GENERALIZED. THIS ESSAY ATTEMPTS TO SHOW HOW THIS COULD BE DONE. MAKING USE OF CONCEPTS SEARLE HAS DEVELOPED WITHIN HIS VERSION OF SPEECH ACT THEORY, I CALL THE CONVERSATIONAL MAXIMS ESTABLISHED BY GRICE 'ASSERTIVE', AND I ARGUE THAT THERE ARE DIRECTIVE, COMMISSIVE, EXPRESSIVE, AND DECLARATIVE MAXIMS OF CONVERSATION TOO. A PATTERN FOR GENERALIZATION THUS CLEARLY EMERGES. THOUGH THE MAIN VALUE OF GRICE'S THEORY LIES IN ALLOWING FOR (A RECONSTRUCTION OF) INTERPRETATIONS OF UTTERANCES, THERE STILL REMAINS A WHOLE SET OF UTTERANCES WHOSE MEANING THIS THEORY HAS NOT YET BEEN ABLE TO GRASP. MENTIONING A FEW EXAMPLES OF SUCH UTTERANCES, I TRY TO SHOW HOW THEIR MEANING(S) CAN BE RECONSTRUCTED, IF CONVERSATIONAL MAXIMS OTHER THAN GRICE'S ARE RECOGNIZED. THAT THE EXPLANATORY POTENTIAL OF GRICE'S THEORY CAN BE RAISED BY INCORPORATING FURTHER MAXIMS SHOULD BE ILLUSTRATED IN THIS WAY.