Comic Relief
by
John Morreall
Develops an inclusive theory that integrates psychological, aesthetic, and ethical issues relating to humor. This title reveals how standard theories of humor fail to explain its true nature and actually support traditional prejudices against humor as being antisocial, irrational, and foolish.
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Complete description
"Comic Relief: A Comprehensive Philosophy of Humor" develops an inclusive theory that integrates psychological, aesthetic, and ethical issues relating to humor. It offers an enlightening and accessible foray into the serious business of humor. It reveals how standard theories of humor fail to explain its true nature and actually support traditional prejudices against humor as being antisocial, irrational, and foolish. It argues that humor's benefits overlap significantly with those of philosophy. It includes a foreword by Robert Mankoff, Cartoon Editor of "The New Yorker".
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General info
Publisher & Imprint:
Wiley-Blackwell (an imprint of John Wiley & Sons Ltd)
City:
Chicester
Pages:
144
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Age recommended:
Professional and scholarly
Subject Indexing & Classification
Dewey: 700.108
Summary
Comic Relief
Foreword - Robert Mankoff, Cartoon Editor of The New Yorker. Preface. 1 No Laughing Matter: The Traditional Rejection of Humor and Traditional Theories of Humor. Humor, Anarchy, and Aggression. The Superiority Theory: Humor as Anti-social. The Incongruity Theory: Humor as Irrational. The Relief Theory: Humor as a Pressure Valve. The Minority Opinion of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas: Humor as Playful Relaxation. The Relaxation Theory of Robert Latta. 2 Fight or Flight - or Laughter: The Psychology of Humor. Humor and Disengagement. Humor as Play. Laughter as a Play Signal. 3 From Lucy to "I Love Lucy": The Evolution of Humor. What Was First Funny? The Basic Pattern in Humor: The Playful Enjoyment of a Cognitive Shift Is Expressed in Laughter. The Worth of Mirth. 4 That Mona Lisa Smile: The Aesthetics of Humor. Humor as Aesthetic Experience. Humor and Other Ways of Enjoying Cognitive Shifts: The Funny, Tragic, Grotesque, Macabre, Horrible, Bizarre, and Fantastic. Tragedy vs. Comedy: Is Heavy Better than Light? Enough with the Jokes: Spontaneous vs. Prepared Humor. 5 Laughing at the Wrong Time: The Negative Ethics of Humor. Eight Traditional Moral Objections. The Shortcomings in the Contemporary Ethics of Humor. A More Comprehensive Approach: The Ethics of Disengagement. First Harmful Effect: Irresponsibility. Second Harmful Effect: Blocking Compassion. Third Harmful Effect: Promoting Prejudice. 6 Having a Good Laugh: The Positive Ethics of Humor. Intellectual Virtues Fostered by Humor. Moral Virtues Fostered by Humor. Humor during the Holocaust. 7 Homo Sapiens and Homo Ridens: Philosophy and Comedy. Was Socrates the First Stand-up Comedian? Humor and the Existentialists. The Laughing Buddha. 8 The Glass Is Half-Empty and Half-Full: Comic Wisdom. Notes. Bibliography. Index.
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