{"product_id":"comic-relief-isbn-9781405196123","title":"Comic Relief","description":"\u003ci\u003eComic Relief: A Comprehensive Philosophy of Humor\u003c\/i\u003e develops an inclusive theory that integrates psychological, aesthetic, and ethical issues relating to humor  \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eOffers an enlightening and accessible foray into the serious business of humor\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eReveals how standard theories of humor fail to explain its true nature and actually support traditional prejudices against humor as being antisocial, irrational, and foolish\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eArgues that humor’s benefits overlap significantly with those of philosophy\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eIncludes a foreword by Robert Mankoff, Cartoon Editor of \u003ci\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003cp\u003eForeword ix\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eRobert Mankoff\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePreface xi\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAcknowledgments xiii\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e1 No Laughing Matter: The Traditional Rejection of Humor and Traditional Theories of Humor 1\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHumor, Anarchy, and Aggression 2\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Superiority Theory: Humor as Anti-social 4\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Incongruity Theory: Humor as Irrational 9\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Relief Theory: Humor as a Pressure Valve 15\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Minority Opinion of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas: Humor as Playful Relaxation 23\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Relaxation Theory of Robert Latta 24\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e2 Fight or Flight – or Laughter: The Psychology of Humor 27\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHumor and Disengagement 28\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHumor as Play 33\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLaughter as a Play Signal 36\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e3 From Lucy to “I Love Lucy”: The Evolution of Humor 40\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhat Was First Funny? 41\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Basic Pattern in Humor: The Playful Enjoyment of a Cognitive Shift is Expressed in Laughter 49\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Worth of Mirth 64\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e4 That Mona Lisa Smile: The Aesthetics of Humor 69\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHumor as Aesthetic Experience 70\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHumor and Other Ways of Enjoying Cognitive Shifts: The Funny, Tragic, Grotesque, Macabre, Horrible, Bizarre, and Fantastic 73\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTragedy vs. Comedy: Is Heavy Better than Light? 75\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEnough with the Jokes: Spontaneous vs. Prepared Humor 83\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e5 Laughing at the Wrong Time: The Negative Ethics of Humor 90\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEight Traditional Moral Objections 91\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Shortcomings in the Contemporary Ethics of Humor 98\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA More Comprehensive Approach: The Ethics of Disengagement 101\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFirst Harmful Effect: Irresponsibility 102\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSecond Harmful Effect: Blocking Compassion 103\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThird Harmful Effect: Promoting Prejudice 105\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e6 Having a Good Laugh: The Positive Ethics of Humor 111\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntellectual Virtues Fostered by Humor 112\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMoral Virtues Fostered by Humor 115\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHumor during the Holocaust 119\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e7 Homo Sapiens and Homo Ridens: Philosophy and Comedy 125\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWas Socrates the First Stand-up Comedian? 126\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHumor and the Existentialists 129\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Laughing Buddha 133\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e8 The Glass is Half-Empty \u003ci\u003eand \u003c\/i\u003eHalf-Full: Comic Wisdom 139\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNotes 146\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBibliography 160\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndex 179\u003c\/p\u003e  \"As an intelligent treatment of what humor is and what it means, this work raises significant questions and proposes plausible answers.\" (\u003ci\u003eCHOICE,\u003c\/i\u003e September 2010)\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eJohn Morreall\u003c\/b\u003e’s previous publications include \u003ci\u003eTaking Laughter Seriously\u003c\/i\u003e (1983); \u003ci\u003eThe Philosophy of Laughter and Humor\u003c\/i\u003e (1987); \u003ci\u003eHumor Works\u003c\/i\u003e (1997); and \u003ci\u003eComedy, Tragedy, and Religion\u003c\/i\u003e (1999). In 2004 and 2005, he was elected President of the International Society for Humor Studies. His work has been featured in the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e, and the \u003ci\u003eEconomist\u003c\/i\u003e. 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. \u003ci\u003eComic Relief\u003c\/i\u003e 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, \u003ci\u003eComic Relief\u003c\/i\u003e is an enlightening and accessible foray into the serious business of humor.  \"Of all of the humor scholars I know, John Morreall is the best at making original, fascinating, and useful observations. We should all be grateful that in \u003ci\u003eComic Relief\u003c\/i\u003e he has once more demonstrated--in his witty and accessible style--that the play ethic is as important as the work ethic.\"\u003cbr\u003e –\u003cb\u003eDon L. F. Nilsen\u003c\/b\u003e, International Society for Humor Studies  \u003cp\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eComic Relief\u003c\/i\u003e is an engaging, wide-ranging discussion of how humor is defined within the disciplines of philosophy and history, as well as a brilliant and comprehensive overview of how it is used today. This book is a superb addition to the body of genuinely important works on humor.\"\u003cbr\u003e –\u003cb\u003eRegina Barreca\u003c\/b\u003e, University of Connecticut\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wiley-Blackwell","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47988948959461,"sku":"NP9781405196123","price":53.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781405196123.jpg?v=1761782171","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/comic-relief-isbn-9781405196123","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}