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Western philosophy's traditional assessment of the nature and value of humor has not been kind, as the standard theories made humor look antisocial, irrational, and foolish. It wasn't until well into the twentieth century that humor gained even a semblance of respect. Comic Relief goes a great way toward ameliorating this injustice. In it, noted philosophical humor writer John Morreall develops a comprehensive theory that integrates psychological, aesthetic, and ethical issues relating to humor. He also presents and critiques the standard Superiority, Incongruity, and Relief Theories of humor,…mehr

Produktbeschreibung
Western philosophy's traditional assessment of the nature and value of humor has not been kind, as the standard theories made humor look antisocial, irrational, and foolish. It wasn't until well into the twentieth century that humor gained even a semblance of respect. Comic Relief goes a great way toward ameliorating this injustice. In it, noted philosophical humor writer John Morreall develops a comprehensive theory that integrates psychological, aesthetic, and ethical issues relating to humor. He also presents and critiques the standard Superiority, Incongruity, and Relief Theories of humor, revealing how they not only fail to explain its nature, but actually support traditional prejudices against humor. While utilizing elements from traditional theories of humor, Morreall goes into much greater depth about the opposition between amusement and emotions, the cognitive and practical disengagement in humor, the psychological and social benefits of humor, and the comic vision of life itself. He further argues that humor's benefits overlap significantly with those of philosophy, concluding that philosophy's traditional rejection of humor has been an egregious error. Informed by scholarly research, Comic Relief is an enlightening and accessible foray into the serious business of humor.
Autorenporträt
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.
Rezensionen
"As an intelligent treatment of what humor is and what it means,this work raises significant questions and proposes plausibleanswers." (CHOICE, September 2010)

"Of all of the humor scholars I know, John Morreall is the best atmaking original, fascinating, and useful observations. We shouldall be grateful that in Comic Relief he has once moredemonstrated--in his witty and accessible style--that the playethic is as important as the work ethic."
-Don L. F. Nilsen, International Society for HumorStudies

"Comic Relief is an engaging, wide-ranging discussion ofhow humor is defined within the disciplines of philosophy andhistory, as well as a brilliant and comprehensive overview of howit is used today. This book is a superb addition to the body ofgenuinely important works on humor."
-Regina Barreca, University of Connecticut