THE LOGICAL-RHETORICAL FORMS OF THE COMIC

Abstract

This article investigates the logic of the anecdote, and rhetorical means of its expression. Consequently, the response to the question: how the right thinking based on the laws of logic, tending to the truth is coupled with the anecdotal type of thinking, whose purpose is to amuse is given in this work. Laughter as a physiological reaction to the humor arises from the clash of feelings and mind. The anecdote as the most common rhetorical genre of humor and wit, certainly contains two components: unity (collision) of semantic aspects and their paradoxical decision. If the first part of it (preamble) is logical (correct), the second is illogical. Moreover, the occurrence of this abnormality is quite sophistical, because it is based on a conscious violation of certain logical principles and rules. Based on the analysis of anecdotal considerations, the article concludes that the most common cause of alogisms is non-observance of the logical identity law (principle of uniqueness), resulting in an error of substitution of concepts. This creates a semantic ambiguity, which in most cases becomes a source of the comic itself, or in combination with logical operations, extent (division) and content (definition) of concepts. The logical form of the reasoning expresses comic, usually in the form of enthymeme of simple categorical or conditional-categorical syllogism in combination with other logic techniques and various rhetorical means. In this sense, irony offers the best opportunities to reveal the wit and real speaker`s eloquence. At the same time, it is noted that the human wit is expressed not only in the creation of jokes based on the convergence of remote associations, but in their adequate perception ability. This requires a considerable level of logical thinking culture that can be developed.