An analysis of absurdity 1
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 20142519 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Tony Tsz Fung Lau (0000-0001-5868-0801, The University of Hong Kong Pok Fu Lam Hong Kong, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 88 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 972-981 |
| Publication date | 2022-10-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Theoria (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0040-5825 • E-ISSN: 1755-2567 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/theo.12422 |
| OpenAlex | W4283705091 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 9 |
This paper offers an account of propositional absurdity and investigates its connection to falsity. I propose that instances of absurdity just are cases of what I call maximal abnormality. In light of the works of Smith (2016) and Pietroski and Rey (1995) on normic conditionals which link normality to explanatory demands, I suggest that absurdity also has a close tie with explanations (more precisely, the lacking thereof). Interesting consequences follow under such an account – first, I argue that we should see absurdity as ceteris paribus guide to falsehood – what is absurd is expected to be false, unless further evidence suggests otherwise; second (and relatedly), when further evidence indeed suggests otherwise, absurd propositions would not cease to be absurd
Absurdism · Absurdity · Epistemology · Falsity · Epistemology, Ethics, and Metaphysics · Logic, Reasoning, and Knowledge · Philosophy · Philosophy and History of Science
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |