Violation of Cooperative Principle 合作原则的违背

Violation of Quantity Maxim

    The use of terms such as “principle” and “maxim” does not mean that the Cooperative Principle and its maxims will be followed by everybody all the time. People do violate them and tell lies. An example in which the first maxim of Quantity is violated will be:

    A: Where is Tom?

    B: He has gone to the library. But he said that he had been back from China and he thought China is a beautiful country. I hope I have a chance to visit…

In a sense, the first sentence is enough for all wanted information. The last information is prolixity. It is not related to the topic. However, from the view of Politeness Principle, B observes the tact maxim to make A know more about Tom and also more about his own thought. From this action, B’s sentences would disclose his characteristic of enthusiasm. Then from another sight, B obeys the positive politeness strategy. Because B not only answers A’s question cooperatively, but also satisfies A’s demands. Actually B exactly wants to express the feeling of Tom’s voyage and his hope. In reality, most of people tell others more boring information may improve the communication fluently.

Violation of Quality Maxim

    And here is an example in which the second maxim of Quality is violated will be:

    A: What do you think about Tom?

B: I’m afraid that he was married and had a lioness at home.

Here the “lioness” is a metaphor. Actually, except telling lies, the speaker often would use irony, hyperbole, and meiosis to make hearer guesses the implicature. B tells the truth which is too exaggerated. And the quality maxim acquires to tell the truth. Therefore, there is no evidence to prove what B said is true. On the other hand, from the view of Politeness Principle, B obeys the agreement maxim. B does not directly to say Tom’s wife is not gentle. But B answers in a polite way to express his idea. At last the indirect strategy and negative politeness strategy may explain this conversation suitably. In this sentence the speaker B does not really mean that there’s a really lion in Tom’s house. On the contrary, it indicates Tom’s wife. And to keep polite, B apologize first to convey that he does not mean anything bad to hurt A’s emotion. From this we can know that the speaker B violates the maxim of quality on purpose in order to pay more attention to A’s feeling. In this way, A may accept B’s opinion easily. Actually B wants A to speculate his implicature that Tom’s wife is on the top and Tom must obey. For the sake of being polite, sometimes people choose to violate the maxim on purpose.

Violation of Relevance Maxim

  Next we will look at this example which the third maxim of relevance is violated will be:

    A: How do you feel about this party?

    B: Today is a fine day.

In this conversation, we could find that B’s talking has no relevance with A’s question. But in another eye of this situation, from Politeness Principle the author observes the tact maxim in order to reduce the others’ disagreements and give considerations to others’ feelings. B’s non-relevant answer would make A more or less know B’s implicature about this boring party. On the other hand, B’s answer obeys the indirect strategy. Obviously B has inferred something. So here comes A’s inside thought that B may not want to talk about it, and what B does is telling A in a nice way that it’s none of her business. In a word here B wants to implicate that he doesn’t want to talk about this topic any more in a polite way. In some extent B even feels more boring about A’s topic. Thus in this situation, violating the maxim is necessary for communicating successfully.

Violation of Manner Maxim

The last example in which the fourth maxim of manner is violated will be:

    A: Where is your father?

    B: He is either in the kitchen or in the yard.

In this dialogue, B’s words show the obscurity of expression. As a matter of fact he may say I don’t know at all. Yet he use the blurred words to give A an indefinitely answer so that A doesn’t get any useful information. In addition, the tact maxim of Politeness Principle would give A a suitable explanation. B doesn’t know where his father is, but he has given the two choices to help A for the purpose of not hurt A’s sensation. Besides, the indirect strategy would analyze B’s attitude. B couldn’t tell A directly where his father is though he want to help A. Therefore B tells A all information he knows although his words are indistinct. This talk can’t give us an exactly answer, but actually the child really doesn’t know where his father is.

   From above all, people have to recognize the importance principles of communication. And people in daily life generally observe the principles. Actually sometimes people have to flout the Cooperative Principle in order to keep polite. From these examples, people should have comprehended a little. And in the next part a deeper research about daily communication would be explored.