Analyzing Communication Failure In Gandhi & Jinnah’s Talks: A Socio-Cognitive Perspective On Grecian Cooperation Principles

Abstract

Socio-cognitive approach (SCA) is an important perspective on Gricean pragmatics. In Gricean pragmatics, it is supposed that interlocutors intentionally flout or violate four maxims and create confusion that leads to failure of communication. However, to Kecskes, communication failure and misunderstanding between interlocutors are often caused by the egocentrism of both the speaker and the hearer. Considering the correspondence between Gandhi and Jinnah as a conversation between two political leaders, I have investigated what kind of egocentrism Gandhi and Jinnah bring during the talks and why the communication between the interlocutors failed. I have interpreted flouting or violation of maxims in Kecskesian model of egocentrism. As a qualitative study, it uncovers how egocentrism offers adequate explanation for dynamic interconnection among intention, attention and salience. The findings of the study show that interlocutors could not reach any agreement because each of them both as a speaker and hearer could not create rapport between them. The parallel study of the questions one leader asks with the answers provided by the other reveals that there are several instances of flouting of every maxim.