Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Cognitive Constraints on Communication pp 175–200Cite as

Jokes and the Logic of the Cognitive Unconscious

  • Chapter

Part of the book series: Synthese Language Library ((SLAP,volume 18))

Abstract

Freud’s theory of jokes explains how they overcome the mental “censors” that make it hard for us to think “forbidden” thoughts. But his theory did not work so well for humorous nonsense as for other comical subjects. In this essay I argue that the different forms of humor can be seen as much more similar, once we recognize the importance of knowledge about knowledge and, particularly, aspects of thinking concerned with recognizing and suppressing bugs — ineffective or destructive thought processes. When seen in this light, much humor that at first seems pointless, or mysterious, becomes more understandable.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Freud, Sigmund: Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious, 1905, (transl. Strachey) Standard Edition, vol. 8, Hogarth Press, 1957.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Doyle, Jon: Truth Maintenance Systems for Problem Solving, M.I.T., Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, AI/TR-419, January 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Kornfeld, William A.: Using Parallel Processes for Problem Solving, M.I.T., Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, AI Memo 561, Cambridge, Ma., December 1979.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Korzybski, Alfred: Science and Sanity, Science Press, Lancaster, Pa., 1941.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Minsky, Marvin: A Framework for Representing Knowledge, M.I.T., Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, AI Memo 306, Cambridge, Ma., June 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Minsky, Marvin: ‘A Framework for Representing Knowledge’ (condensed version), The Psychology of Computer Vision, Edited by P. H. Winston, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Minsky, Marvin: ‘Plain Talk About Neurodevelopmental Epistemology,’ Proceedings of the Fifth International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Cambridge, Ma., August 1977. Condensed version in Artificial Intelligence, edited by Winston and Brown, Vol. 1, MIT Press, 1979.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Minsky, Marvin: ‘K-lines: A Theory of Memory,’ Cognitive Science 4 (1980), 117–133.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Wittgenstein, L.: Philosophical Investigations, Blackwell, Oxford, 1953.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Winston, P. H.: ‘Learning Structural Descriptions by Examples,’ Psychology of Computer Vision, Edited by P. H. Winston, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Freud, Sigmund: Humour, 1927, (transl. Strachey) Standard Edition, Vol. 21, Hogarth Press, 1957, 161–166.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Davis, Randall: ‘Meta-rules: Reasoning about Control,’ to appear in Artificial Intelligence 0000.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Doyle, Jon: A Model for Deliberation, Action and Introspection, Ph.D Thesis, M.I.T., Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Cambridge, Ma., August 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Minsky, Marvin: ‘Matter, Mind and Models,’ Proceedings of IFIP Congress 1965, May, 1965, 45–49. Reprinted in Semantic Information Processing, MIT Press, 1968.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Schank, Roger: ‘Language and Memory,’ Cognitive Science 4 (1980), 243–284.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Newell, A, Shaw, J. C., and Simon, H. A.: Preliminary Description of General Problem Solving Program, (GPS-1), CIP Working Paper No. 7, December 1957.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Minsky, Marvin: Heuristic Aspects of the Artificial Intelligence Problem, Lincoln Laboratory, M.I.T., Lexington, Mass. Group Report No. 34–55. ASTIA Doc. No. AS236885, December 1956.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Winston, Patrick H.: Learning by Understanding Analogies, M.I.T., Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, AI memo 520. Cambridge, Ma., June 1979.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Papert, Seymour: Mindstorms: Children, Computers and Powerful Ideas, Basic Books, New York, 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Sussman, Gerald J.: A Computational Model of Skill Acquisition, Ph.D. Thesis, M.I.T., Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, IA/TR-297, Cambridge, Ma., August 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Goldstein, Ira P.: Understanding Simple Picture Programs, Ph.D. Thesis, M.I.T., Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, IA/TR-294, Cambridge, Ma., April 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Thomas, Lewis: ‘The Scrambler in the Mind,’ The Medusa and the Snail, Bantam Books, New York, 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Lorenz, Konrad: King Solomon’s Ring, Thomas J. Crowell, New York, 1961.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Tinbergen, Niko: The Study of Instinct, Oxford University Press, London, 1951.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Kuipers, Benjamin: Representing Knowledge of Large-Scale Space, Ph.D. Thesis, M.I.T., Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, IA/TR-418, Cambridge, Ma., July 1978.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, M.I.T., USA

    Marvin Minsky

Authors
  1. Marvin Minsky
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Cognitive Science, M.I.T., USA

    Lucia Vaina

  2. Computer Science Department, Boston University, USA

    Lucia Vaina

  3. Department of Philosophy, Florida State University, USA

    Jaakko Hintikka

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1980 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Minsky, M. (1980). Jokes and the Logic of the Cognitive Unconscious. In: Vaina, L., Hintikka, J. (eds) Cognitive Constraints on Communication. Synthese Language Library, vol 18. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-9188-6_10

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-9188-6_10

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-277-1949-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-010-9188-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation