Humour And History (Cbi Conference Report)

This is an examination of facets of humour in the broadest sense, encompassing satire, irony and ridicule. In short, the human attitude to laughter and the use of it to influence public opinion. Aristotle felt that laughter was a distinctive trait of humanity and one that distinguished humans from the animals. On the other hand, the very existence of human beings could be considered a 'joke'. The contributors to this volume are based in a variety of fields, including psychology, drama, theology, sociology, and the humanities and address theories of humour within them. The result is a fascinating insight into the role humour has played in various European cultures throughout their history. Humour and History......Page 1 Contets......Page 6 1— Humour and History......Page 7 Notes......Page 11 2— Humour in Philosophy......Page 12 Superiority Theories......Page 13 Incongruity Theories......Page 17 Release Theories......Page 19 A Theory of Humour......Page 21 3— Humour in the Bible?......Page 23 Notes......Page 38 References......Page 42 4— Abusive Criticism and the Criticism of Abuse......Page 43 Notes......Page 55 5— Paradigms of Power: Roman Emperors in Roman Satire......Page 58 Notes......Page 70 References......Page 71 6— L'Esprit Gaulois: Humour and National Mythology......Page 72 Notes......Page 83 I......Page 86 II......Page 88 III......Page 92 IV......Page 94 V......Page 96 Notes......Page 99 8— Magna Farta: Walpole and the Golden Rump......Page 102 Notes......Page 136 9— Irony and the Historical......Page 138 Romantic Irony......Page 139 The Novel......Page 144 The Nixon Tapes......Page 146 Irony and the Absurd......Page 147 The Retrospective History of Irony......Page 150 Notes......Page 153 10— Psychoanalysis and Humour......Page 154 Joke Work......Page 156 The Purpose of Jokes......Page 157 References......Page 160 Aristotle felt that laughter was a distinctive trait of humanity and one that distinguished humans from the animals. On the other hand, the very existence of human beings could be considered a 'joke'. This title offers an insight into the role humour has played in various European cultures throughout their history. Presented By Keith Cameron. Includes Bibliographical References.