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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are looked down upon, because it represents a total loss of rational thought and one’s self control. “Plato, the most influential ancient critic of laughter, saw it as an emotion that overrides rational self-control. In the Republic, he said that the Guardians of the state should avoid laughter, “for ordinarily when one abandons himself to violent laughter, his condition provokes a violent reaction” (Morreall, 4).
The superiority theory of humor in philosophy asserts that we laugh because we have been placed into a position that makes us feel superior. This theory has been criticized by many groups, such as Christians and Plato and his followers. It is suggested that we laugh at others because of our highly, “…individualistic and competitive…” nature as humans. Since this side of human nature can be harmful it is not something that should be brought out, thus we must sacrifice laughter and humor for the greater good of society. While this theory is reasonable, it is not the most believable. There are many instances where one can laugh at something and not feel superior. The superiority theory does not cover a wide enough scope of experience to be plausible.
After, the Superiority Theory was criticized for its unlikeliness, the Incongruity Theory rose into prominence.
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
to
Spencer, is the energy of emotions that have been found to be inappropriate” (Morreall, 17). While the Incongruity Theory is the reigning theory in the philosophy of humor, the relief theory is also a good theory because it is more precise, although it does not cover as wide of a scope as the Incongruity Theory. The Relief Theory looks at humor and laughter as something purely scientific, thus making the terms to define in the theory easier, unlike in the Superiority Theory and the Incongruity Theory. The Incongruity Theory covers the widest range of experience, thusly being one of the reasons that it is the reigning theory of humor in philosophy. Although, the Incongruity Theory is the reigning theory of humor this does not completely discredit the Superiority Theory and the Relief Theory. Since the Incongruity Theory is vague enough to cover a wide range of experience, parts of the Superiority Theory and the Relief Theory fall under the umbrella term of the Incongruity Theory.
are looked down upon, because it represents a total loss of rational thought and one’s self control. “Plato, the most influential ancient critic of laughter, saw it as an emotion that overrides rational self-control. In the Republic, he said that the Guardians of the state should avoid laughter, “for ordinarily when one abandons himself to violent laughter, his condition provokes a violent reaction” (Morreall, 4).
The superiority theory of humor in philosophy asserts that we laugh because we have been placed into a position that makes us feel superior. This theory has been criticized by many groups, such as Christians and Plato and his followers. It is suggested that we laugh at others because of our highly, “…individualistic and competitive…” nature as humans. Since this side of human nature can be harmful it is not something that should be brought out, thus we must sacrifice laughter and humor for the greater good of society. While this theory is reasonable, it is not the most believable. There are many instances where one can laugh at something and not feel superior. The superiority theory does not cover a wide enough scope of experience to be plausible.
After, the Superiority Theory was criticized for its unlikeliness, the Incongruity Theory rose into prominence.
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
to
Spencer, is the energy of emotions that have been found to be inappropriate” (Morreall, 17). While the Incongruity Theory is the reigning theory in the philosophy of humor, the relief theory is also a good theory because it is more precise, although it does not cover as wide of a scope as the Incongruity Theory. The Relief Theory looks at humor and laughter as something purely scientific, thus making the terms to define in the theory easier, unlike in the Superiority Theory and the Incongruity Theory. The Incongruity Theory covers the widest range of experience, thusly being one of the reasons that it is the reigning theory of humor in philosophy. Although, the Incongruity Theory is the reigning theory of humor this does not completely discredit the Superiority Theory and the Relief Theory. Since the Incongruity Theory is vague enough to cover a wide range of experience, parts of the Superiority Theory and the Relief Theory fall under the umbrella term of the Incongruity Theory.