• Incongruity and Seriousness

    Author(s):
    Chris A. Kramer (see profile)
    Date:
    2015
    Group(s):
    Analytic Philosophy, Philosophy, Political Philosophy & Theory, Public Philosophy Journal
    Subject(s):
    Ethics, Wit and humor, Education, Philosophy, Literature--Philosophy, Language and languages--Philosophy
    Item Type:
    Article
    Tag(s):
    Subversive Humor, Humor studies, Philosophy and literature, Philosophy of language
    Permanent URL:
    http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/x78c-5j40
    Abstract:
    In the first part of this paper, I will briefly introduce the concept of incongruity and its relation to humor and seriousness, connecting the ideas of Arthur Schopenhauer and the contemporary work of John Morreall. I will reveal some of the relations between Schopenhauer’s notion of “seriousness” and the existentialists such as Jean Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, and Lewis Gordon. In section II, I will consider the relationship between playfulness and incongruity, noting the role that enjoyment of incongruity plays in creative, non-dogmatic thinking. In section III, I will critique Morreall’s arguments against the efficacy of humor as a means of serious protest, analyzing the complex relationship between the ambiguous terms “seriousness” and “playfulness”. In the final section, I contend that Morreall’s conception of humor, with which I generally agree, fails to adequately address subversive humor. He is cognizant of the benefits of a humorous attitude and of the work of rebellious groups who use humor, but his insistence that the play mode of humor precludes emotional attachment and practical concern, renders his philosophical analysis of humor far less comprehensive than his (2009) title suggests. I will make the case, contra Morreall, and he is the most prominent of many humor theorists who make similar points, that some humor in play mode is non-existentially, non-gravely serious, and intends to do more than simply “delight” audiences; the subversive humorist, in particular, is attempting to disclose and transmit information in such a way as to create change in both attitudes and practical social interactions.
    Metadata:
    xml
    Published as:
    Journal article     Show details
    Pub. Date:
    2015
    Journal:
    Florida Philosophical Review - Special Issue: Philosophy of Humor and Humorous Philosophy
    Volume:
    15
    Issue:
    1
    Page Range:
    1 - 18
    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    2 years ago
    License:
    All Rights Reserved

    Downloads

    Item Name: pdf incongruity_and_seriousness.pdf
      Download View in browser
    Activity: Downloads: 45

    Back to Deposits