Morreall Comic Relief

A Comprehensive Philosophy of Humor
1. Auflage 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4443-0780-1
Verlag: John Wiley & Sons
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 208 Seiten, E-Book

Reihe: New Directions in Aesthetics

Comic Relief: A Comprehensive Philosophy of Humor developsan inclusive theory that integrates psychological, aesthetic, andethical issues relating to humor
* Offers an enlightening and accessible foray into the seriousbusiness of humor
* Reveals how standard theories of humor fail to explain its truenature and actually support traditional prejudices against humor asbeing antisocial, irrational, and foolish
* Argues that humor's benefits overlap significantly withthose of philosophy
* Includes a foreword by Robert Mankoff, Cartoon Editor of TheNew Yorker

Autoren/Hrsg.

Morreall, John

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Foreword - Robert Mankoff, Cartoon Editor of The New Yorker.
Preface.
1 No Laughing Matter: The Traditional Rejection of Humor andTraditional 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 asPlayful Relaxation.
The Relaxation Theory of Robert Latta.
2 Fight or Flight - or Laughter: The Psychology ofHumor.
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 CognitiveShift 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: ComicWisdom.
Notes.
Bibliography.
Index.

Über Autor(innen)

John Morreall's previous publications include Taking Laughter Seriously (1983); The Philosophy of Laughter and Humor (1987); Humor Works (1997); and Comedy, Tragedy, and Religion (1999). In 2004 and 2005, he was elected President of the International Society for Humor Studies. His work has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Economist.