Philosophy 214: Philosophy of Humour                        Summer 2010
Time and place: Mon & Wed 6:00-8:30 pm, Main Building, Room 411
Professor: Tony Couture. Office: Main Building, Room 417,
Phone: 566-0989 or e-mail:  tcouture@upei.ca, or tcouture@pei.sympatico.ca
    In the popular culture, philosophy is notorious for being “heavy stuff,” or too serious and stiff necked.

Yet philosophers have begun to think that it is wrong-headed to insist on no humour in philosophy.

Wittgenstein is one philosopher who claimed that we should pay more attention to nonsense, the incongruous in

language, as we do philosophy. He wrote: “In philosophy it is significant that such and such a sentence makes

no sense; but also that it sounds funny.” Also: “For a philosopher there is more grass growing down in the valleys

of silliness than upon the barren heights of cleverness.” He was also self-deprecating about being a philosopher:

“I am sitting with a philosopher in the garden; he says again and again ‘I know that that’s a tree,’ pointing to a tree

that is near us. Someone else arrives and hears this, and I tell him: ‘This fellow isn’t insane. We are only doing

philosophy.’ ” (from On Certainty)

    This is a reflective course which introduces philosophy through jokes and reflects on jokes in order to gain a new

angle for understanding philosophy. This course emphasizes the overlapping aspects of philosophy and humour,

as well as the role of humour in culture and valuing life. What is comedy? What is humour? What is laughter?

What is the relation of humour to laughter? What is the difference between laughing at people and laughing with them?

Why is it so offensive to be laughed at? What is it about blasphemous, sexist, or racist jokes that makes them

objectionable? Does the love of humour indicate a kind of personal irrationality or is our sense of humour an integral

part of our rationality? Why is a joke funny the first time you hear it and less funny the next time you hear it?

    We shall survey traditional theories of laughter and humour, study contemporary analysis of comedy, and discuss

the ethics and politics of humour generally (course handouts).  We shall investigate the three main theories about

humour: 1) the Superiority theory that laughter is always directed at someone as a kind of scorn or expresses feelings

of superiority (Plato, Aristotle, and Hobbes); 2) the Incongruity theory that what amuses us is some thought or

perception that clashes with what we would have expected in a particular set of circumstances (mentioned by Aristotle

and Cicero, but developed by Kant and Schopenhauer); and 3) the Relief theory that laughter is a venting of excess

nervous energy (Herbert Spencer and Freud).

    Second, we shall use the American comedians Lenny Bruce and George Carlin as case studies in problematic

humour and free speech controversies. Throughout the course, I shall use video examples of popular humour including

classic humour from early television. Each class I shall spotlight one popular comedian or group in order to study this

exemplar of humor phenomenologically. We will emphasize discussion of examples, and focus on topics such as the

ethics of free speech and offensive speech, principles of communication, culture and counter-culture, and the role of

humour in history.

 WARNING: This course may involve studying humour that is offensive to some people and which contains explicit

language or other vulgar content. In the interests of totally understanding humour, we assert complete free speech

during this course and accept responsibility for what we study in our academic freedom and the corresponding duty to

“hear the other side” when wrongful humour is expressed. We undertake to respect each other equally as we study the

best and the worst jokes in the world, including jokes about religion, politics, institutions, values, groups, races,

genders, individuals, animals and sex. 

Philosophy 214 (continued)                                Summer 2010

COURSE WORK:


1) One short assignment on the theories of humour in first part of the course, must be typed and submitted

(in hard copy, no e-mail submissions): 10%, 2 pages maximum, for early feedback on writing to student.

2) In-class exercises, debates/ discussion activities/ stand up comedy (10%, value calculated on basis of number of

exercises completed by class during semester, unannounced. Students who miss these classes cannot make up this

part of their mark without a legitimate medical excuse.)

3) Student Selection of Humour for Class Study (10%, maximum one page, single-spaced of text, should include a

range of humour of special interest to philosophers, including examples to criticize or problem humour. This is for

sharing with the class, to create an anthology for study. Due in early June )

4) Major research essay : 30%, due last class, June 16, 5-7 pages double-spaced, an essay on a particular problem,

topic, or comic artist with philosophical relevance (assigned topics only). Topics and criteria for marking essays will be

distributed later.

5) Final exam ( Monday, June 21, 6:00-9:00 pm, students must write exam at this time unless they have a legitimate

medical or other acceptable excuse): 40% (open textbooks, but no class notes, format for final exam).

Required textbooks:
 
1) Taking Laughter Seriously (1983), by John Morreall.

2) How to Talk  Dirty and Influence People: An Autobiography (first published in Playboy magazine, 1963-1965) by

Lenny Bruce.

3) Braindroppings (1997), by George Carlin.

Other notes or readings will be distributed free as class handouts. Videos shown in class will not be lent out for private

viewing by students who miss class or otherwise.