The Palgrave Handbook of the Philosophy of Humor by Amir, Lydia;

Long description:

The Palgrave Handbook of the Philosophy of Humor gathers the best scholars in this now well-established field in order to fill a significant lacuna: to provide an accurate explanation of philosophers? attitudes toward humor as an umbrella term, both historically and thematically. To that purpose, it addresses not only humor, but also laughter and the comical, as well as related terms, such as smiling, wit, jokes, caricature, irony and stand-up comedy.

The first part of the handbook is historical and presents the main philosophers and the major philosophic schools which have taken humor seriously. It clarifies the ways in which humor has been interpreted through various periods in Western history, and engages with the various spiritual traditions and diverse cultures within which humor has been significant.

Parts 2, 3 and 4 examine key themes. Part 2 disambiguates the main notions which are associated with humor as an umbrella term, and emphasizes their role in philosophy. Part 3 explores how humor has been understood, approaching it through various lenses. Finally, Part 4 addresses the main questions in the ethics of humor, such as its capacity to offend and its potential to be virtuous, and the strong ties between humor and the human predicament.

This handbook is essential reading for all scholars, researchers, and advanced students of the philosophy of humor and of humor studies. It is also of interest to scholars in related fields including aesthetics, moral psychology, ethics, and the history of philosophy.

Table of Contents:

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Part 1: Philosophers on Humor, Laughter, and the Comical.- 1. Democritus, the Laughing Philosopher, and Heraclitus, the Weeping Philosopher.- 2 Socrates.- 3. Plato.- 4. Aristotle.- 5. Stocisim and Epicureanism.- 6. Ancient Cynicism and Skepticism.- 7. The Rhetorical Tradition in Antiquity.- 8. The Church and Medieval Christian Philosophers.- 9. Classical Islamic Philosophy.- 10. Medieval Jewish Thought ? Philosophy, Kabbalah, and Belles-lettres.- 11. Renaissance Philosophers.- 12. Early Modern and Modern Philosophers.- 13. Thomas Hobbes and Francis Hutcheson.- 14. Immanuel Kant.- 15. G.W.F. Hegel, German Idealism, and German Romanticism.- 16. Late Modern Philosophers.- 17. Classical American Philosophers.- 18. Henri Bergson.- 19. George Santayana.- 20. Indian Philosophy.- 21. Chinese Philosophy.- Part 2: Humor and Related Terms.- 22. Smiling.- 23. Laughter.- 24. Wit.- 25. Jokes, Puns, and Philosophy.- 26. Satire and Philosophy.- 27. Caricature.- 28. Irony, the Modern Rhetorical Tradition, and Philosophy.- 29. Comedy and Philosophy.- 30. Film Comedy.- 31. Stand-Up Comedy.- Part 3: Unverstanding Humor.- 32. Theories of Humor.- 33. Emotions, Humor, and Meaning.- 34. Intelligence and Humor.- 35. The Cognitive Science of Humor.- 36. The Ontology of Humor.- 37. Feminism and Humor.- 38. Education and Humor.- Part 4: Humor, Ethics, and the Human Condition.- 39. Offensive Humor.- 40. Humor and Virtue.- 41. The Ethics of Humor - 12 Rules for Life.- 42. Nihilism and Humor.- 43. The Importance of Being Funny.- 44. Laughing with Self as Other ? From Homo ridens to Homo risibilis.- 45. The Unamused Life Is Not Worth Living.