Different Homeopathic Characters Violate Cooperative Principles Differently

Abstract

Alongside differences from language to language, there are so many diversities in use of a single language by its speakers. This study was designed to determine whether there is any difference between speakers’ ways of violating Gricean maxims according to homeopathy classifications. Pragmatics studies of a language deals with these variations. Considering human being complexities reflected in behavior and language, these kinds of study can be so variable. Discourse analysis is one of the ways to illustrate the differences both in language use and ideologies of speakers, and it is claimed that gender is a significant factor in talking differently. Cooperative Priciples introduced by Grice (1975) are used to analyze the data in the present research to illustrate the human different ways to use language. Data of the research is transcription of patients’ talk in consulting sessions, who are under homeopathic treatment. Homeopathy as a new method of treatment is a whole medical system in which disorder or disturbance of the dynamis is called sickness. There are 15 widespread homeopathic characters, from which Natrum Muraticum and Sulfur are chosen for the sake of this research. After analyzing their language by means of Gricean Maxims it is concluded that the differenciating element in violating the maxims is being different homeopathic characters, not gender differences.