Cooperative Principle

Ardita Dylgjeri, University of Elbasan "Aleksandër Xhuvani", Albania
ardita.dylgjeri@uniel.edu.al

In linguistics and the social sciences, the Cooperative Principle refers to the idea that conversational participants generally work together to achieve mutual understanding. That is, they engage in conversation in such a way that participants can arrive at a common understanding of what each is trying to communicate. To this end, it is necessary that speakers say (and listeners can trust them to say) things that are relevant, informative without being redundant, truthful, and clear. Listeners, in turn, should (and speakers can trust them to) try to interpret the speaker’s meaning in a similarly cooperative manner.

In its formulation by Paul Grice, the Cooperative Principle involves four Conversational Maxims—concerning the quantity, quality, relevance, and manner of speech—that cannot be reduced to mere etiquette or politeness, but can be understood as expectations that govern rational, cooperative communication: 1. Maxim of Quantity – Say as much as is needed, but not more. 2. Maxim of Quality – Do not say what you believe to be false or lack sufficient evidence for. 3. Maxim of Relevance – Be relevant to the exchange (distinct from the separate Principle of Relevance in relevance theory). 4. Maxim of Manner – Be clear, brief, and orderly; avoid obscurity or ambiguity. According to the Cooperative Principle, speakers and listeners are assumed to contribute meaningfully to the exchange, enabling communication to be efficient and effective.

While each maxim can be flouted for various rhetorical or pragmatic reasons—such as irony, sarcasm, or indirect speech—effective communication breaks down when it becomes clear that the Cooperative Principle is being systematically violated. Speakers may also opt out of a maxim or face a clash of maxims when different conversational expectations compete.

To account for cultural variation in conversational norms, Mey introduces the more inclusive term Communicative Principle, which encompasses both the Cooperative Principle and the Principle of Relevance. He argues that Grice’s maxims cannot be universally applied, as different cultures may adhere to different conceptions of what cooperation in communication entails.

Keywords: cooperative principle, conversational maxims, communication, relevance

Related Entries: Communication, Discourse (1), Discourse (2)

References:
Grice, H. P. (1975). Logic and conversation. In P. Cole & J. L. Morgan (Eds.), Syntax and semantics: Vol. 3. Speech acts (pp. 41–58). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004368811_003SciSpace+1Brill+1
Mey, J. L. (2001). Pragmatics: An introduction (2nd ed.). Blackwell Publishers.
Wardhaugh, R. (2006). An introduction to sociolinguistics (5th ed.). Blackwell Publishing.