THE LOGICAL MECHANISM “THE DETECTION OF THE INCONGRUENCE – THE RESOLUTION OF THE INCONGRUENCE” IN JOKE, RIDDLE AND PARADOX

Abstract

The study examines joke, riddle and paradox through the prism of the logical mechanism “the detection of the incongruence – the resolution of the incongruence” proposed by Salvatore Attardo. The difference between joke and riddle is that joke operates according its laughter-making function, and riddle operates according its cognitive function. Another difference between joke and riddle is that the resolution of the incongruence of joke is implicit, and the resolution of the incongruence of riddle is explicit. In respect to rhetoric and the study of folklore, joke, paradox and riddle are the allied concepts: rhetoric considers them as quasi-tropes, and the study of folklore considers them as paroemias. However, there must be the strict differentiation between the paradox in first sense and the paradox in second sense. The paradox in first sense can be considered as a quasi-trop in rhetoric, but the paradox in second sense has to be considered as a logical grounding for a convincing speech in rhetoric and, also, as an implicit paralogism in logic. Moreover, in respect to logic, paradox differs from joke and riddle mainly by its logical mechanics that doesn’t allow the resolution of the incongruence. Paradox is only the detection of the incongruence.