Share the story of what Open Access means to you
University of Michigan needs your feedback to better understand how readers are using openly available ebooks. You can help by taking a short, privacy-friendly survey.
The Morality of Laughter
F. H. Buckley
You don't have access to this book. Please try to log in with your institution.
Log in
"Bravo! I'll say nothing funny about it, for it is a
superior piece of work."
—P. J. O'Rourke
"F. H. Buckley's The Morality of Laughter is at once
a humorous look at serious matters and a serious
book about humor."
—Crisis Magazine
"Buckley has written a . ne and funny book that will
be read with pleasure and instruction."
—First Things
". . . written elegantly and often wittily. . . ."
—National Post
". . . a fascinating philosophical exposition of
laughter. . . ."
—National Review
". . . at once a wise and highly amusing book."
—Wall Street Journal Online
". . . a useful reminder that a cheery society is a
healthy one."
—Weekly Standard
superior piece of work."
—P. J. O'Rourke
"F. H. Buckley's The Morality of Laughter is at once
a humorous look at serious matters and a serious
book about humor."
—Crisis Magazine
"Buckley has written a . ne and funny book that will
be read with pleasure and instruction."
—First Things
". . . written elegantly and often wittily. . . ."
—National Post
". . . a fascinating philosophical exposition of
laughter. . . ."
—National Review
". . . at once a wise and highly amusing book."
—Wall Street Journal Online
". . . a useful reminder that a cheery society is a
healthy one."
—Weekly Standard
-
Cover
-
Title
-
Copyright
-
Dedication
-
Contents
-
Preface
-
PART I. THE POSITIVE THESIS
-
1. Laughter as Superiority
-
Hobbes and Bergson
-
The Normative Foundation
-
Laughter as a Signal
-
-
2. The Elements of Laughter
-
Sociability
-
Surprise
-
Playfulness
-
-
3. The One Necessary Thing
-
Incongruity and Wordplay
-
Relief and Exuberant Laughter
-
Innocent Laughter
-
The Absurd and Postmodernism
-
Self-Deprecatory Humor
-
-
-
PART II. THE NORMATIVE THESIS
-
4. Objections to the Normative Thesis
-
The Paradox of Satire
-
Excessive Laughter
-
The Hobbesian Paradox
-
Vicious Laughter
-
-
5. Comic Virtues and Vices
-
The Rose-Wreath Crown
-
The Gay Science
-
Comic Norms
-
-
6. The Social Virtues
-
Integrity
-
Moderation
-
Fortitude
-
Temperance
-
-
7. The Charismatic Virtues
-
Grace
-
Taste
-
Learning
-
-
8. Machine Law
-
Risible Law
-
Kreimer v. Morristown
-
The Sick Chickens Case
-
-
9. Machine Scholarship
-
Analytical Philosophy
-
Zombies as Machine Men
-
Machine Political Theory
-
Baby Selling
-
-
10. Machine Art and Machine Cities
-
Machine Art
-
Machine Cities
-
-
-
PART III. THE EXPERIENCE OF LAUGHTER
-
11. The Battle of the Norms
-
Judgment Errors
-
Large Numbers
-
Perverse Norms and Factual Errors
-
Uncertainty
-
-
12. Resistance to Laughter
-
Vanity
-
Acedia
-
The Cynic
-
The Faustian Bargain
-
The Puritan
-
-
13. The Sociability Thesis
-
Signaling Trustworthiness
-
A Communitarian Perspective
-
-
14. Conclusion
-
Life Considered as a Fine Art
-
The Dream of a Unified Field
-
-
-
Notes
-
Bibliography
-
Index
Citable Link
Published: 2003
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
- 978-0-472-06818-0 (paper)
- 978-0-472-02272-4 (ebook)
- 978-0-472-09818-7 (hardcover)