Лекции по теоретической грамматике английского языка. Тивьяева И.В. - 127 стр.

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may also involve some kind of trade-off, where one breaks a maxim in order to

uphold another maxim, the latter of which may be more important in the

communicative situation than the former.

It should be pointed out that the maxims suggested by Grice are not the only

ones. Grice recognizes existence of other maxims as well: “There are, of course, all

sorts of other maxims (aesthetic, social, or moral in character), such as “Be polite,”

that are also normally observed by participants in talk exchanges, and these may

also generate nonconventional implicatures” (Grice 1989:28)

Grice’s research was further developed by Western scholars who worked out

some “new” maxims: Do not contradict yourself without explanation (Stewart

1983), Prepare for conversation (St George 1987), Speak idiomatically unless there

is some special reason not to (Searle 1979), Do not request what you do not want

(Harnish 1976), Do not mislead (Corliss 1981), etc., etc.

3. The Politeness principle and Leech’s maxims

G. Leech was the father of the social-pragmatics approach to Grice’s

research. He worked on “a broader, socially and psychologically oriented

application of pragmatic principles” (Leech 1983:80). G. Leech (1983) proposed

the six maxims of the Politeness Principle (PP) as a way of complementing the

CP and explaining how politeness operates in conversational exchanges. Leech

defines politeness as forms of behaviour that establish and maintain comity.

That is the ability of participants in a social interaction to engage in interaction in

an atmosphere of relative harmony. In stating his maxims Leech uses his own

terms for two kinds of illocutionary acts. He calls representatives “assertives”, and

calls directives “impositives”.

− Tact maxim

(in directives [impositives] and commissives): minimise cost to

other; [maximise benefit to other]

eg. Help yourself once more. and rather not I will help yourself once more.

− Generosity maxim

(in directives and commissives): minimise benefit to self;

[maximise cost to self]