maxims and universality

[Peter Harder]

Sorry about the racial implications. I was trying to speak in inverted
brackets, invoking stereotypes that were floating around, as it were. I see
they came across as my own.
                                                        --Peter Harder


>From: Gregory Ward <ward at pg-13.ling.nwu.edu>
>Subject: Re: maxims and universality
>To: harder at coco.ihi.ku.dk
>Date: Mon, 1 Mar 99 9:07:40 CST
>Cc: FUNKNET at LISTSERV.RICE.EDU
>Reply-to: gw at nwu.edu
>
>> I think Grice hovers between two interpretations, one being the above,
>> while the other is more like norms for efficient exchange of propositional
>> information (cf. Lyons's discussion, 1977:593), i.e. something like norms
>> for white, efficient males. To see the last interpretation, you need only
>> conjure up the picture of a person who never communicates more or less than
>> required for the purposes at hand, never says anything for which he lacks
>> adequate evidence, never strays into irrelevance etc. The ideal business
>> partner, but would you want your daughter to marry one?
>
>wait, the (norm for the) 'ideal business partner' is white (not to
>mention male)??  how does race figure into the discussion?
>
>gregory
>--
>
>Gregory Ward
>Department of Linguistics
>Northwestern University
>2016 Sheridan Road
>Evanston IL  60208-4090
>
>e-mail: gw at nwu.edu
>tel: 847-491-8055
>fax: 847-491-3770
>www: http://www.ling.nwu.edu/~ward
>
>