On Humour (Thinking in Action) [Paperback]

Simon Critchley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2, 2002 | Series: Thinking in Action

Does humour make us human, or do the cats and dogs laugh along with us? On Humour is a fascinating, beautifully written and funny book on what humour can tell us about being human. Simon Critchley skilfully probes some of the most perennial but least understood aspects of humour, such as our tendency to laugh at animals and our bodies, why we mock death with comedy and why we think it's funny when people act like machines. He also looks at the darker side of humour, as rife in sexism and racism and argues that it is important for reminding us of people we would rather not be.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Simon Critchley is Professor of Philosophy and Director for the Centre of Theoretical Studies at the University of Essex. He is the author of Ethics-Politics-Subjectivity (1999) and Very LittleAlmost Nothing (Routledge, 1997). His most recent book is Continental Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction (2001).

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1st edition (June 2, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415251214
• ISBN-13: 978-0415251211
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.4 x 7.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #414,642 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Simon Critchley is Chair of Philosophy at the New School for Social Research in New York and part-time Professor of Philosophy at the University of Tilburg in the Netherlands. He lives in Brooklyn.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great reading July 27, 2004

By Juha Lehtonen

Format:Paperback

Critchley observes humour from many perspectives: What is the role of crossing conventional cultural boundaries in comedy? How are the most simple-minded and -- may I say -- barbaric jests used as tools of societal isolation, racism and sexism? In what manner are religious ideas similar to or different from comical conceptions? Most importantly Critchley observes the relationship between our cultural existence and our profound and inescapable, but constantly disturbing animality.

Critchley's writing is extremely enjoyable. His theorizing could be occasionally hard to grasp if not familiar with his philosophical background, but the book never turns dull. Actually, in addition to being able to keep up the reader's enthusiasm, Critchley's writing is also remarkably amusing. Not only being explained perceiving theory of comedy, the reader is also able to test the theory himself while reading by observing his own chuckles, bursts of laughter and dark grins as Critchley tells -- depending on the context -- more or less witty jests. And always the jokes help to illustrate his more academical ends.

Personally I found the work fresh and inspiring, and also in aesthetic sense nimble. Enjoyable book, from cover to cover.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars We came, we saw, we had a good laugh... December 31, 2007

By ewomack TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Everyone is their own authority on humor. After all, who has the right to tell another person "Stop laughing! You don't find that funny!" Though humor contains distinct subjective elements, the story doesn't end there. Some jokes, characters, or narratives seem to elicit more laughter than others. In such cases, humor appears to contain objective traits. Here lies the comedian's Holy Grail. What makes people laugh and why? A comedic formula that guarantees mass expulsions of laughter remains as elusive as that legendary chalice. But people pursue it. Though dangers await all who search, as we will see, the rewards are so momentous they render all risks insignificant.

Laughter, at heart, is a philosophical problem. If we knew for certain the source of mirth, and we might someday, we wouldn't need sitcoms, romantic comedies, or bawdy limericks to stimulate our pleasure centers. We do know that humans laugh, and laughter seems indubitably human. This small and entertaining book by philosopher Simon Critchley starts with that simple proposition. We laugh but why? Other animals, such as hawks or grouse, don't seem to. But "reducing" a human to an animal or vice versa seems to make us smirk, or at least feel disgust, depending on the analogy. Anthropomorphizing animals, on the other hand, really seems to get us going. The book cites numerous examples, including cartoons such as "The Far Side" (as well as a joke about a rather naughty talking bear). Lurking underneath such species bending is human behavior. It turns out, according to this book, that we're far funnier than any animal. At the core of humor we find ourselves. All of our glory and puffery can get reduced to ridiculousness by an ill-timed fart. Such events verify our corporeality.... Humor, Critchley argues, contains a "metaphysical unease." Maybe all our self-adulation adds up to nothing but pretense? Existential discomfort can cause laughter, as though we know deep down that the joke is really on us. And, apart from its subjective and objective elements, humor also has cultural boundaries. It emphasizes and support a particular ethos. As such, most jokes don't work outside their culture of origin. Humor can simultaneously elevate a culture while denigrating those outside of that culture. "Ethnic humor," discussed a little too briefly in this book, seems to have this origin. All of this leads to Critchley's own two-point theory of humor. First, humor helps us acknowledge our world, or how things are for us within our culture. Second, humor hints at how we can improve that same world by using common sense to help us identify the ridiculous elements of our lives. Laughter can sprout change. The book's final chapter builds on this theory using Freudian terminology and seems somewhat anticlimactic and a little out of place. Suddenly, Freudian analysis invades the discussion with talk of ego, super-ego, and even "Super Ego II," a more mature Super-Ego. Though relevant, it doesn't add anything substantial to the preceding chapters, apart from Critchley's brief ruminations on "the smile." Apart from some mild disorientation, it by no means ruins the book. The conclusion that humor directed at ourselves pleasantly elevates our ridiculousness stands.

"On Humour" provides an insightful, entertaining, and humorous read. Those with no background in philosophy speak might furrow their brows at terms such as "thrownness" or "phenomenology," but overall the book remains accessible to general readers. It discusses humor from a purely philosophical perspective. Comedians looking for ways to improve their acts won't find 1-minute recipes for doing so. Nonetheless, they may discover inspiring new ways of looking at comedy. The book's ultimate point is that humor originates from a philosophical perspective and such a viewpoint can lead to existential angst. That's one of the dangers of humor: depression. But humor can also elevate the humanity of humanness to help us see our own precarious, and sometimes hilarious, position in the universe. Humor helps us realize who we are, even if we recoil at the image in the mirror. Reality can stink, but it can also be incredibly funny. And if our aspirations turn to grimy dust as we endlessly rotate in our infinite insane vacuum we may find consolation in the absurd. We came, we saw, we had a good laugh. Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent August 28, 2012

By David VanderHamm

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is about as good as it gets for anyone wanting to think in depth (not necessarily "seriously") about humour. It is commendable both for its overview of the relevant theories as well as for Critchley's original ideas. It is short enough to read in an evening, but sufficiently substantial as well. Critchley writes as well as any contemporary philosopher I've read, which helps immensely when tackling a subject like this.