ABSTRACT
The paradox of fiction is a comparatively recent problem in the philosophy of literature, around which a considerable industry has quickly developed. Although there is consensus about how to state the paradox, there is disagreement about how to break it. If any one of the three premises is denied, then the paradox does not arise. The paradox of emotional response to fiction is closely connected with other central concerns in the philosophy of literature, in particular, the paradox of tragedy and the artistic expression of emotion. It is notable that fiction, tragedy, and expression have not only been central themes in the literature, but are also problems that have been subjected to different modes of treatment. In order to get going, the paradox makes certain assumptions about the nature of emotion. Conceptual analysis of 'emotion' differs from conceptual analysis of 'belief', in part because it is much less clear what one is attempting to analyse in the case of emotion.
