A Comprehensive Philosophy Of Humor Summary
A Comprehensive Philosophy of Humor: John Morreall What humans find funny is so subjective, thus it is one of the strangest things that humans do. With just a few actions or a few words, our whole demeanor changes and, “…Our diaphragms move up and down in spasms, expelling air from our lungs and making staccato vocal sounds (Morreall, 2). Why do we laugh? What is humor? What is the difference between laughter and humor? In A Comprehensive Philosophy of Humor, John Morreall attempts to answer these questions. Morreall expounds on the three widely regarded theories of humor in philosophy. He further defines the superiority theory, the incongruity theory, and the relief theory. It is important to note, that in some cultures humor and laughter
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The Incongruity Theory humor in philosophy asserts that we laugh because we have been expecting something to happen, but then that thing that we were expecting does not happen. “This approach was taken by James Beattie, Immanuel Kant, Søren Kierkegaard, Arthur Schopenhauer, and many later philosophers and psychologists. It is now the dominant theory of humor in philosophy and psychology” (Morreall, 10). The incongruity theory of humor is the most widely accepted theory of humor, possibly because it covers the widest scope of experience. However, this theory is not without flaws. The exact definition of the word incongruous has been debated, with some definitions defining the word as just a lack of harmony and other definitions defining the word as a synonym for ridiculous and absurd.
After the Superiority Theory was debunked, the Relief Theory was created. The Relief Theory of humor in philosophy asserts that we laugh as a way to release our nervous energy. This theory takes an approach that is more physical than mental. The approach of the Relief Theory is that, “…The excess nervous energy that is relieved by laughter, according
The Incongruity Theory humor in philosophy asserts that we laugh because we have been expecting something to happen, but then that thing that we were expecting does not happen. “This approach was taken by James Beattie, Immanuel Kant, Søren Kierkegaard, Arthur Schopenhauer, and many later philosophers and psychologists. It is now the dominant theory of humor in philosophy and psychology” (Morreall, 10). The incongruity theory of humor is the most widely accepted theory of humor, possibly because it covers the widest scope of experience. However, this theory is not without flaws. The exact definition of the word incongruous has been debated, with some definitions defining the word as just a lack of harmony and other definitions defining the word as a synonym for ridiculous and absurd.
After the Superiority Theory was debunked, the Relief Theory was created. The Relief Theory of humor in philosophy asserts that we laugh as a way to release our nervous energy. This theory takes an approach that is more physical than mental. The approach of the Relief Theory is that, “…The excess nervous energy that is relieved by laughter, according