Sentence and Speaker Meaning

Sentence and Speaker Meaning

Grice's Basic Idea

• Sentence tokens as expressively produced by propositional attitudes.

3 Examples:

1. This is a fine red one

To understand meaning, need to understand what the speaker's pointing to.

2. Incorrect usage (malapropism)

'Mozart's music is jejune'. I think Jejune means callow. In fact it means 'meagre'. So I wouldn't agree with the literal meaning of what I'm saying.

3. Sarcasm/Metaphor

Grice wants to:

• Reduce sentence to speaker meaning
• Reduce speaker meaning to psychological states

Speaker Meaning

Attempt one - 'x means y' means 'x is intended by its utterer to induce a belief in some audience'

Stating this belief - to say what x means.

Problem - handkerchief example (I intend to invoke a belief)

Attempt two - same as above, and speaker must intend for the audience to recognise their intent. 

Problem - Salome with John the baptist's head...

Picture/photo example.

Attempt three - intend that audience base their belief that p on their recognition of your intenton.

Sentence…