The Philosophy of Comedy: Volume 96

This volume discusses the philosophy of comedy. The six articles in this volume examine free speech, swearing, self-deprecating humour, power dynamics and the morality of comedy. Each article is paired with a discussion between author, other philosophers, practising comedians to help further the debate.

Comedy raises a host of interesting philosophical questions. What are the boundaries of free speech? Should comedy and the activity of professional comedians be given special place with respect to free speech? Do we have special duties towards groups seen as having less power and refrain from joking about them? What makes some forms of speech, such as swearing, funny? How should we characterize the activity of self-deprecating humour, and why should we encourage comedians to bear their soul in so public a way? What are the intersections between morality and humour, and is it defensible to find something less funny because of some moral flaw in the artist? In the end, can comedy count as a form of philosophy? This collection of six newly published pieces discusses these questions, and more. As well as papers that pursue these topics, each one is paired with a discussion between author, other philosophers, and practising comedians to help further the debates.