The relevance theory, pragmatics and the problem of meaning

The paper discusses the theory of relevance, advanced in middle 1980s by Dan Sperber and Deidra Wilson, context opposition between proponents “ideal language philosophy”, or formal semantics, adherents “ordinary philoso­phy”. Though was created as a version cognitive pragmatics, an area at junction sciences theoretical linguistics, it is undoubted interest for philosophical comprehension language, verbal communication, nature meaning. Treating communication process, Wilson for­mulate two most important principles underlying process – principle relevance communicative relevance. explains basic notions ostensive informative inten­tions, optimal explicature; reveals advantages that authors the­ory see “inferential” model over “code” how they present understanding speaker’s utterance hearer on “implicit” “explicit” levels what role ascribe to pragmatic inferences. account accompanied its comparison with picture elaborated Paul Grice, shown though make start from Grice’s ideas many respects, intro­duce significant alterations so are regarded representatives post-Gricean pragmatics. In conclusion, examined how, according theory, se­mantics/pragmatics distinction should be drawn. It discussed proposed deci­sion alters meaning consequences has philosophy.