The Philosophy of Humor Yearbook covers the various intersections of philosophy with humor (and laughter, irony, and the comical), historically and contemporarily, descriptively and prescriptively, seriously and jocularly. The first in aseries of articles on the philosophy of humour and laughter looks at attempts made to explain humour in terms of incongruity. as van Haelst’s films suggest, humor can also serve serious purposes, even in its most slapstick forms. The whole book demonstrates the seriousness of humor and its central place in human life. Introduction: Why So Serious? In this respect, humor serves as both a defense mechanism and a way of coping with adversity. John Morreall's contributions to the scholarship on laughter and humor are well known and well respected. This course had too much philosophy and not enough humor. Theories of laughter and humor originated in ancient times with the view that laughter is an expression of feelings of superiority over another person. sophical elements toward a genealogy of feminist humor. PDF | On Jan 20, , Karl Pfeifer and others published Review of John Morreall, Taking Laughter Seriously. Ancient philosophers were very interested in the themes of laughter, humor, and comedy. Humor, wit, and laughter surround each person. Release Date: December 1986. . I begin my analysis by discussing the nature and purpose of humor in general, while distinguishing it from laughter and amusement. . Source. Humor disarms hostility. Word Count: 417. 0887063268 9780887063268. aaaa. ISBN13: 978-0-88706-326-8. Last Reviewed on July 29, 2019, by eNotes Editorial. Plato and the Spectacle of Laughter 2. Laughter as a physiological reaction to the humor arises from the clash of feelings and mind. Humor is the state of being amused, although it might not be accompanied by laughter. Taking Laughter Seriously (SUNY Press, 1983) The Philosophy of Laughter and Humor (SUNY Press, 1987) Humor Works (Human Resource Development Press, 1997) Comedy, Tragedy, and Religion (SUNY Press, 1999). 15 We are now able to unpack the sense in which laughter, or a response to existence as The whole book demonstrates the seriousness of humor and its central place in human life. Second, humor hints at how we can improve that same world by using common sense to help us identify the ridiculous elements of our lives. You will find more (and more recent) research articles on laughter categorized by area (s) of benefits in the LOU laughter research center. Graduation and Master in Philosophy. State University of New York Press, 1987 - Philosophy - 270 pages. There we discuss the aim, figures, conception of power, and the cathartic effects of an erotic politics of laughter. Humour and incongruity. Source. Alternatively, humor can enact a rebellion against authority, Relief theory Relief theory maintains that laughter is a homeostatic mechanism by which psychological tension is reduced. Humor may thus for example serve to facilitate relief of the tension caused by one's fears. Laughter and mirth, according to relief theory, result from this release of nervous energy. The claim that humor has to do with the development of a certain cognitive flexibility is also central to contemporary American philosopher John Morrealls theory of humor (A New Theory of Laughter, in The Philosophy of Laughter and Humor), even though Morrealls theory is actually a development of the Incongruity Theory. Throughout history, it has played a crucial role in defining gender roles and identities. Laughter is an outburst of sentiment, which, however, is lim ited to the realm of rational mentality. Abundant evidence documents positive physical and psychological health benefits of humor. MORREALL, JOHN. In Matamata’s case, humor seems to reinforce the colonialist values of a culture, recognizing and disciplining a subject’s failure to conform to those values through laughter. Table of Contents. IN COLLECTIONS. Further, they were often merciless in ridiculing their opponents’ positions, often borrowing comedic devices and techniques … 47 George Santayana, The Sense of Beauty, in The Philosophy of Laughter and Humor, ed. The professor was very good and was a good comedian, but many of the classes were only deep philosophical concepts with no humor to illustrate the concepts. If you are a serious philosophy student, this is a great class. This laughter-the 'laughter of the height'-represents a position from which one can laugh at 'all tragedies, real or imaginary'.14 From the vantage point of the height, there is nothing that cannot be seen as amusing; and the ultimate joke is life itself. This return to humor as part of philosophy of education or even as part of philosophy is of course not entirely new. Thus, one can laugh without a humorous stimulus and similarly one can experience humor without laughter. fiStrain out a gnat and swallow a camelfl is exaggerated humor. Coming at time in which humor, especially in the works of the American humorists Artemus Ward and Mark Twain, was exceedingly popular in England, Vasey’s work argued that laughter was both morally and physically dangerous. I'll say nothing funny about it, for it is asuperior piece of work."-P. written elegantly and often wittily. Life is so much more enjoyable when you actively try and incorporate laughter and humor … Laughter and mirth, according to relief theory, result from this release of nervous energy. Rather than being an exercise of power, feminist humor is viewed as a source of empowerment and resistance. "-First Things". Abstract. The International Association for the Philosophy of Humor has been established in 2014 with the purpose of inviting philosophers from various traditions to share study of humor, laughter, and the comic, and their roles (e.g., epistemological, ethical, aesthetic) within the history and practice of philosophy. @inproceedings {Lippitt1994HumourAI, title= {Humour and incongruity}, author= {John A. Lippitt}, year= {1994} } John A. Lippitt. sophical elements toward a genealogy of feminist humor. “Humor Laughter and Human Flourishing is a welcome addition to the Springer Briefs in Education series. In 2004 and 2005, he was elected President of the International Society for Humor Studies. A thorough investigation of the philosophy of laughter would fill volumes, but we may be permitted to skim the subject and pre sent to our readers a few thoughts touching on the salient points without promising an exhaustive treatment. Examples from different media, including stand-up comedy, general theory of laughter: laughter is not so uniform, reflective, or automatic response to various stimuli as Koestler suggests but much more variegated in many respects, often socially regulated, often altogether not aggressive or appre-hensive, and so on. Henry Bergson’s Laughter is a collection of three essays. Taking Laughter Seriously (SUNY Press, 1983) The Philosophy of Laughter and Humor (SUNY Press, 1987) Humor Works (Human Resource Development Press, 1997) Comedy, Tragedy, and Religion (SUNY Press, 1999). ISBN10: 0-88706-326-8. philosophers attitudes toward laughter are presented in manuals of humor research and other influential manuscripts on humor, and analyze the reasons that account for their origin and perpetuation. Key-Words: Philosophy, Antiquity, Renaissance, Modern Times, Laughter, Humor. Introduction Readpp. Humor and laughter researchers at the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor (yep, that’s a real thing) not only study why humor helps, but also how it can be applied in health professions settings where patients are ill, injured, or otherwise vulnerable. Known for his inspiring ideas on politics, language and religion, Carlin satirized American culture, making from stand-up comedy a powerful discourse that transcends the entertainment level and speaks on behalf of the people. Constantino Pereira Martins’s academic interests cover an area of research at the intersection of Theology, Political Philosophy, Sports and Aesthetics. He has written three books on comedy and philosophy: Madness, Masks and Laughter: an essay on comedy (1995), Split Down the Sides: on the subject of laughter (1997), and The Comedy of Mind: Philosophers stoned, or the pursuit of wisdom (1999). Title: New_Directions_in_Aesthetics_Comic_Relief_A_Comprehensive_Philosophy_of_Humor_1_-2.pdf Created Date: 1/20/2017 1:55:22 AM Part II The Ethical and Social Significance of Laughter and Humor. When people are asked what’s important in their lives, theyoften mention humor. She is the recipient of the 2016 AATH Lifetime Achievement Award. PDF | On Jan 20, , Karl Pfeifer and others published Review of John Morreall, Taking Laughter Seriously. Books and publications. Humor often reinforces silence, trivializing climates of ... Then I will look at theories of laughter and resistance, arguing that Cixous and Irigaray’s endorsement of laughter can be made more specific through Wittig's emphasis on discursive war machines. The anecdote as the most common rhetorical genre of humor and wit, certainly contains two components: unity (collision) of semantic aspects and their paradoxical decision. There we discuss the aim, figures, conception of power, and the cathartic effects of an erotic politics of laughter. 1 Frank Moore Colby, quoted in Edmund Bergler, Laughter and the Sense of Humor (New York: Intercontinental Medical Book Corporation, 1956), title page. Posts are the work and responsibility of the authors and are not edited by the Managing Editor or endorsed by the University. This book examines the impact that Athenian Old Comedy had on Greek writers of the imperial era. Relief theory maintains that laughter is a homeostatic mechanism by which psychological tension is reduced. Laughter is a motoric and vocal activity requiring the Humor has in fact been characterized as a form of coordinated action of 15 different facial muscles and vicarious touch. This collection offers an in-depth thematic examination of this relationship between humor and gender, spanning a variety of historical and cultural backdrops. It traces the introduction of humor as a new aesthetic category inspired by Laurence Sterne’s Tristram Shandy and shows Sterne’s deep influence on German aesthetic theorists of this period. All of this leads to Critchley's own two-point theory of humor. Book Description: "Bravo! A Source Book of Literary and Philosophical Writings About Humour and Laughter: The Seventy-Five Essential Texts From Antiquity to Modern Times. Jorge Figueroa-Dorrego & Cristina Larkin-Galinanes (eds.) - 2009 - The Edwin Mellen Press. Laughter and Literature: A Play Theory of Humor. Brian Boyd - 2004 - Philosophy and Literature 28 (1):1-22. Her mission is to share the health benefits of humor play and laughter and is reflected in her new book: Legacy of Laughter. 8 subject: Laughter, Wit and humor–Psychological aspects. This book assesses the adequacy of the traditional theories of laughter and humor, suggests revised theories, and explores such areas as the aesthetics and ethics of humor, and the relation of amusement to other mental states. Main Philosophy and Literature Laughter and Literature: A Play Theory of Humor Philosophy and Literature 2004 Vol. I know . derstanding of humor and laughter In fact, humor can be studied in relation to cognition, motivation, and emotion here are individual diferences in humor that maybe habitual or transient, and there is a development across the life span Changes in humor may be brought experimentally and by system- is a blog dedicated to the discussion of humor and humor studies in America. Taking the History of Philosophy on Humor and Laughter Seriously/L. Borrow Listen. R. Latta, a … It demands that we . Historical and Contemporary Theories of Humor 8/25and8/30: Plato,Aristotle,Cicero,Hobbes,Descartes,andHutcheson. Laughter … Overview. 1 Laughter and Literature: A Play Theory of Humor . The Philosophy of Laughter and Humor SUNY series in philosophy: Author: John Morreall: Editor: John Morreall: Edition: illustrated: Publisher: State University of New York Press, 1987: Original from: the University of Michigan: Digitized: Feb 28, 2008: ISBN: 0887063268, 9780887063268: Length: … in English. The Legacy of Nietzsche’s Philosophy of Laughter makes an invaluable contribution to recent interpretive work done on Bataille and Deleuze, and offers further introduction to the relatively understudied Rosset. It welcomes excellent academic papers of both the analytic and continental traditions, humorous short papers on philosophic topics, contributions that highlight the relevance of humor … Relief theory. “Laughter without a tinge of philosophy is but a sneeze of humor. SUNY Series in Philosophy. LAUGHTER IN NIETZSCHE'S THOUGHT: A PHILOSOPHICAL TRAGICOMEDY LAWRENCEJ. I know . Peter in Acts 2 said, fiIt is too early to be drunk.fl Humor allows openness and honesty. His work has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Economist. Prominent theorists, among them John Morreall, who is featured here, have charted the uneasy course between the history of philosophy and humor and laughter, detailing forms of humor considered by philosophers as an excess The whole book demonstrates the seriousness of humor and its central place in human life. is, the way laughter can help to shape a more democratic learning environment. The first type of humor is called, “Humor’s Bad Reputation.” What John Morreall's is trying to say about, “Humor’s Bad Reputation,” is that people will be explaining humor in a wrong way. Couples listing the traits they prize in theirspouses usually put “sense of humor” at or near the top.Philosophers are concerned with what is important in life, so twothings are surprising about what they have said about humor. 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