英语毕业论文:认知语用学的焦点问题探索

Tentative Reflections on Cognitive Pragmatics 本文来自
In the present study its attention has been concentrated upon the following aspects, which are considered essential in cognitive pragmatics: the cognitive basis of pragmatics, pragmatic modularity, understanding and inference, and the interrelatedness between cognitive and social factors. Firstly, it traces the cognitive basis back to the semiotic study in the 1930s following the evolution of pragmatics, since the cognitive-pragmatic perspective originates in the philosophy of language (Marmaridou 2000). And the relationship between pragmatics and some cognitive disciplines is explored so as to account for the fact that it is of necessity to do pragmatics from the cognitive perspective, and by looking into the essence of the effects of signs, effects of speech acts, and cognitive effects, we can find some congruity among them. The focus is then put on the discussion of modularity and pragmatic module. The notion of module has been influentially explicated in Fodor (1983), in which input systems are claimed to be modular since they possess certain properties. Whether a pragmatic system is modular arises as a focus in the late discussion. Since pragmatics is not the extension of grammar, it is unlikely that there exists a pragmatic code and pragmatics is not a single module either. Thirdly, understanding and inference are analyzed in detail. In understanding utterances the hearer looks not just for an arbitrary interpretation but for the one intended by the speaker, how processing effort is cost for achieving cognitive effects, in line with communicative purposes, is concentrated in the discussion, in which relevance theory is referred to for the account of inferential understanding. Fourthly, how to reconcile the social factors with the cognitive account of communication and the necessity of their integration are touched upon since communication is a paradigm case of social interaction and the theory of communication is that of the most ubiquitous social phenomenon. Besides, inside and at the end of the present study some relevant questions are put forward for further discussion.

Key words: cognitive pragmatics, modularity, understanding and inference, social factors
Correspondence: Research Center for Linguistics & Applied Linguistics
Guangdong University of Foreign Studies
Guangzhou, P. R. China, 510420
ttypran@pub.guangzhou.gd.cn

认知语用学的焦点问题探索*

冉永平

语用问题的认知研究是近年来国际语言学界涌现出来的一个新的研究热点与趋势，但什么是认知语用学？虽然目前还未形成统一的定义和理论框架，但这些都不能否认该研究的存在与谈论的必要性。语用模块、认知语境、语用照应与推理等都是语用学讨论中出现的新兴课题，作为对认知语用学的系列研究之一，本文作者首先简要地探讨了语用学的历史渊源和认知基础，因为语用认知研究的出现并非偶然，同时语用学与认知科学之间也存在一定的联系；接着主要讨论了信息处理的语用模块论，是否存在语用模块，这是认知语用学关注的一个主要问题，本文指出语用问题不是模块问题。另外，语用理解与推理也是认知语用学关注的重要问题，在特定语境条件下，听话人需要形成一定的假设才能理解说话人的意图，一方面形成假设的过程是人们推理的过程，也就是一个依赖语境因素的认知过程，另一方面语境必须结合交际事件的社交因素。于是作者重点分析了认知语用观和社交语用观之间的关系，并指出二者之间并非完全对立与排斥。最后本文提出了有关的几个问题，与读者同思索。

关键词：认知语用学，模块论，理解与推理，社交因素

1．语用学的认知基础
认知语用学（cognitive pragmatics）这一术语正式出现于二十世纪80年代中后期。语言学家、哲学家、心理学家等越来越关注语言使用中的认知问题，其中很多学者所从事的研究属于认知语用学（Kasher 1988：xiii），其实认知语用研究早在70年代中期就开始了。很多学者从认知心理的角度出发，将语用学视为认知科学的一部分，并认为语用理论是一种交际理论，但同时交际理论又是一种认知理论（Sperber & Wilson 1995; Marmaridou 2000）。那么什么是认知语用学？目前还没有一个完全认同的定义，但这并不能否认认