GRICEIANA

Speranza

 In trying to understand the nature of this co-operative activity, Herbert Paul Grice uses the terms ‗object‘ and ‗desiderata‘ to describe the principles that regulate the behaviour within a conversation.

There are two desiderata:

(a) The desideratum of conversational candour: conversationalists should, as a rule, make the strongest possible statements with the qualification that they do not attempt to mislead.

(b) The desideratum of conversational clarity: conversationalists should contribute to the conversation by speaking clearly and by providing relevant information to the conversation.

Along with these two desiderata, Grice lists two principles that form part of the conversational setting .
These principles are:

(i) the principle of Conversational Benevolence: contributions to a conversation are geared towards the agreed principle of conversation and

(ii) the principle of conversational self-love: participants will not go to unnecessary trouble towards their contribution.