Creativity, Humour, and Cognition
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.28939/iam.debats-en.2021-7Abstract
This paper explores some aspects of the scientific study of creativity by focusing on intentional
attempts to create instances of linguistic humour. We argue that this sort of creativity can
be accounted for within an influential cognitive approach but that said framework is not a
recipe for producing novel instances of humour and may even preclude them. We start by
identifying three great puzzles that arise when trying to pin down the core traits of creativity,
and some of the ways taken by Cognitive Studies in this quest. We then consider what we call
‘creative humour’, which exhibits the core features of the aforesaid creativity. We then explore
how a key cognitive approach to human communication can account for creative humour.
We end by drawing lessons and highlighting limitations to cognitive approaches to creativity.
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