Treating a metaphor literally exposes the absurdity of a claim

Evidence

Nasreddin’s judgment here is a brilliant piece of legal philosophy: he treats a metaphor literally, and by doing so reveals the absurdity of the original claim. Where do you see this technique used in modern life — in courtrooms, comedy, debate, or politics? — , A Year of World Stories, 2439

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the streetlight effect at 2478 and the distinction between refusing a game vs playing it at 2502. — connects to: Literal application of legal rules sometimes produces absurd against-purpose outcomes — Frederick Schauer, Thinking Like a Lawyer, 284; Extremist claims get promoted because of rather than despite their absurdity — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 556

Broader Connections

• Literal application of legal rules sometimes produces absurd against-purpose outcomes #exemplifies (0.70) — Frederick Schauer, Thinking Like a Lawyer, 284
• Extremist claims get promoted because of rather than despite their absurdity #complicates (0.55) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 556