From "saying" to "doing". Conversational maxims in political speeches [articol]

Abstract

This paper makes reference to Grice’s conversational maxims and their applicability to Călin Popescu Tăriceanu’s investment speech as Prime Minister. As Grice (1975) considers that "the conversational meaning of the words used will determine what is implicated, besides helping to determine what is said" (1975: 44), I am interested in analysing the Prime Minister’s investment speech from this very perspective of the meaning that lies hidden behind what he actually says. To this aim, I attempt to establish whether the Gricean conversational maxims are followed or flouted in the speech selected.