Paul Grice

Paul Grice – Grice’s Maxims

Paul Grice developed a theory of the cooperative principle which consists of 4 maxims, these 4 maxims are: 

-       The maxim of quantity, where one tries to be as informative as one possibly can, and gives as much information as is needed, and no more.

-       The maxim of quality, where one tries to be truthful, and does not give information that is false or that is not supported by evidence.

-       The maxim of relation, where one tries to be relevant, and says things that are pertinent to the discussion.

-       The maxim of manner, when one tries to be as clear, as brief, and as orderly as one can in what one says, and where one avoids obscurity and ambiguity.

These maxims according to Grice should be followed in every conversation however there can be overlaps during conversations and there may be situations where these maxims do not get followed due to the context and situation of the conversation.