In chapter 8.7, you learn that it is possible to intentionally violate one of Grice's maxims in a very obvious way in order to create an implicature. This is called flouting a maxim.

The following example is given:

(2) (Context: Aya and Bo are discussing what they did over the weekend. They both know there is no city named Toronto in Saskatchewan.)
Aya: I visited Toronto over the weekend.
Bo: Oh, Toronto, Ontario?
Aya: No, Toronto, Saskatchewan.
(Implicature: ‘Yes, of course it’s Toronto, Ontario’)

In this example, Aya is saying something that is obviously false. What maxim is she flouting?

Question

In chapter 8.7, you learn that it is possible to intentionally violate one of Grice's maxims in a very obvious way in order to create an implicature. This is called flouting a maxim.

The following example is given:

(2)			(Context: Aya and Bo are discussing what they did over the weekend. They both know there is no city named Toronto in Saskatchewan.)
	Aya:		I visited Toronto over the weekend.
	Bo:		Oh, Toronto, Ontario?
	Aya:		No, Toronto, Saskatchewan.
			(Implicature: ‘Yes, of course it’s Toronto, Ontario’)

In this example, Aya is saying something that is obviously false. What maxim is she flouting?

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

In this question, we’re asked to identify which of Grice’s maxims Aya is flouting by making an obviously false statement to create an implicature.
Option 1: Maxim of Manner. This maxim concerns the clarity and orderly presentation of information (avoid obscurity, ambiguity, and vagueness). Aya’s line isn’t about being unclear or ambiguous; the apparent issue is truthfulness, so this option doesn’t fit.
Option 2: Maxim of Quantity. This maxim is about providing as much information as needed and not more than necessary. While the example involves a misdirection, the key feature is not the amount of information given or withheld, but whether the content is true, so this choice misses the core point.
Option 3: Maxim of Quality. This maxim requires speaking truthfully and having adequate evidence for what one says. Aya says she visited Toronto in Saskatchewan, which is factually false. By making an obviously false assertion to imply a contrast or truth about the real place, she is deliberately violating the expectation of truthfulness, which is exactly what flouting a maxim of Quality demonstrates.
Option 4: Maxim of Relation. This maxim is about being relevant in contribution to the conversation. The statement about Toronto might seem related to the topic, but the crucial flaw here is not relevance; it’s the falsity of the claim used to generate the implicature. Thus this option does not capture the central violation.
In summary, the scenario hinges on knowingly communicating a false proposition to trigger an implicature, which aligns with flouting the Maxim of Quality rather than the other maxims.

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