A Philosopher Looks at the Sense of Humor

A Philosopher Looks at the Sense of Humor

Author: Richard C. Richards

Publisher:

Published: 2013-07

Total Pages: 164

ISBN-13: 9780982105252

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A Philosopher Looks at The Sense of Humor by Richard C. Richards is intended as a starting point for a philosophical discussion. A colleague once said that Richards writes about humor in a humorous way. He said there are serious books about humor, and humorous books, but a combination of the two occurs rarely. In this tour of the wide, wonderful world of the humorous, he touches upon such issues as what causes a sense of humor, whether it can be taught, what its value may be, how it is connected with happiness, and whether it should be placed on the endangered species list. He out of necessity explores the habitat of the amusing, the entertaining, and the comedic. There is considerable laughter in the world, and a more than abundant supply of things to laugh at. But since laughter and humor are only partially and not essentially connected, this may end up being a eulogy for the death of humor. Perhaps this book will cause it. We can only hope. This book may also be useful as a textbook in a classroom setting.


Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar . . .

Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar . . .

Author: Thomas Cathcart

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2008-06-24

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 1440634238

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This New York Times bestseller is the hilarious philosophy course everyone wishes they’d had in school. Outrageously funny, Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar... has been a breakout bestseller ever since authors—and born vaudevillians—Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein did their schtick on NPR’s Weekend Edition. Lively, original, and powerfully informative, Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar... is a not-so-reverent crash course through the great philosophical thinkers and traditions, from Existentialism (What do Hegel and Bette Midler have in common?) to Logic (Sherlock Holmes never deduced anything). Philosophy 101 for those who like to take the heavy stuff lightly, this is a joy to read—and finally, it all makes sense! And now, you can read Daniel Klein's further musings on life and philosophy in Travels with Epicurus and Every Time I Find the Meaning of Life, They Change it.


A Philosopher Looks at Jesus

A Philosopher Looks at Jesus

Author: Edward J. Machle

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2008-03-01

Total Pages: 303

ISBN-13: 1498275737

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This book is the response to a lifetime of questions raised by fellow philosophers, by students, and by the author's own wrestlings. Since the author claims that Jesus's importance goes beyond his being just a moral teacher, Edward Machle discusses the difference between the foundations of philosophy and of theology, and how the disciplines of philosophy and theology use language differently. Then Machle goes on to present his somewhat unorthodox evaluations of the four gospels and their relevance--rejecting, for instance, claims of a "Q" document, and dating Matthew later than Luke. Since any account of Jesus must assume that before Jesus appears in the records, he had a distinctive development, two admittedly fictional narratives follow, preparing for distinctive emphases in the author's later discussions of frequently met problems about Jesus's birth, miracles, aims, and death. Machle lays unusual emphasis on the centrality of the title "Son of Man" for Jesus. Extensive discussions of the resurrection narratives and questions about them follow, leading to a unique treatment of John's Prologue. The last three chapters deal with Jesus's relation to modern belief and life.


The Importance of Being Funny

The Importance of Being Funny

Author: Al Gini

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2017-07-25

Total Pages: 169

ISBN-13: 1442281774

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When E. B. White said “analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog; few people are interested and the frog dies,” he hadn’t seen Al Gini’s hilarious, incisive, and informative take on jokes, joke-telling, and the jokers who tell jokes. For Gini, humor is more than just foolish fun: it serves as a safety valve for dealing with reality that gives us the courage to endure that which we cannot understand or avoid. Not everyone tells jokes. Not everyone gets a joke, even a good one. But, Gini argues, joke-telling can act as both a sword and a shield to defend us from reality. As the late, great stand-up comic Joan Rivers put it: ‘If you can laugh at it, you can live with it!’ This book is for anyone who enjoys a good laugh, but also wants to know why.


A Philosopher Looks at the Natural World

A Philosopher Looks at the Natural World

Author: Daniel C. Fouke

Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing

Published: 2021-08-10

Total Pages: 230

ISBN-13: 1527573672

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This book interweaves the author’s personal story and observations of nature, with scientific research, and philosophical reflection. It tells the story of nearly three decades of labor to ecologically restore twenty-one acres of ruined land near Dayton, Ohio. This story and what the author has observed motivate reflection on the human relationship to soil, the inner lives of animals, the intelligence of plants, and human psychology. The book advances the case for the intelligence and kinship of all living things, an ethic of respect for life, and the need to radically rethink how human societies live on Earth.


Nietzsche's Moral Psychology

Nietzsche's Moral Psychology

Author: Mark Alfano

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2019-08-29

Total Pages: 317

ISBN-13: 1107074150

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Examines Nietzsche's thinking on the virtues using a combination of close reading and digital analysis.


Stop Me If You've Heard This: A History and Philosophy of Jokes

Stop Me If You've Heard This: A History and Philosophy of Jokes

Author: Jim Holt

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Published: 2008-07-17

Total Pages: 160

ISBN-13: 0393069443

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“Finally I understand what it is I’ve been laughing at all these years.”—Jimmy Kimmel From the best-selling author of Why Does the World Exist? comes this outrageous, uproarious compendium of absurdity, filth, racy paradox, and gratuitous offensiveness—just the kind of mature philosophical reflection readers have come to expect from the ever-entertaining Jim Holt. Indeed, Stop Me If You’ve Heard This is the first book to trace the evolution of the joke all the way from the standup comics of ancient Athens to the comedy-club Seinfelds of today. After exploring humor’s history in Part One, Holt delves into philosophy in Part Two: Wall Street jokes; jokes about rednecks and atheists, bulimics and politicians; jokes you missed if you didn’t go to a Catholic girls’ school; jokes about logic and existence itself . . . all became fodder for the grand theories of Aristotle, Kant, Freud, and Wittgenstein in this heady mix of the high and low, of the ribald and profound, from America’s most beloved philosophical pundit.


The Philosophy of Ernst Cassirer

The Philosophy of Ernst Cassirer

Author: J Tyler Friedman

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG

Published: 2015-06-16

Total Pages: 429

ISBN-13: 3110421836

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This volume brings Cassirer’s work into the arena of contemporary debates both within and outside of philosophy. All articles offer a fresh and contemporary look at one of the most prolific and important philosophers of the 20th century. The papers are authored by a wide array of scholars working in different areas, such as epistemology, philosophy of culture, sociology, psychopathology, philosophy of science and aesthetics.


What's So Funny About God?

What's So Funny About God?

Author: Steve Wilkens

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Published: 2019-12-31

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 0830852670

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Jokes often touch on the biggest topics of our existence, but many Christians haven't taken humor seriously. This insightful yet delightful crash course from philosopher Steve Wilkens argues that viewing Scripture and theology through the lens of humor helps us understand the gospel and avoid the pitfalls of both naturalism and gnosticism, while facilitating a humble, honest, and appealing approach to faith.


The Humor of Kierkegaard

The Humor of Kierkegaard

Author: Søren Kierkegaard

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2004-07-26

Total Pages: 356

ISBN-13: 9780691020853

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Who might reasonably be nominated as the funniest philosopher of all time? With this anthology, Thomas Oden provisionally declares Søren Aabye Kierkegaard (1813-1855) -- despite his reputation as the melancholy, despairing Dane -- as, among philosophers, the most amusing. Kierkegaard not only explored comic perception to its depths but also practiced the art of comedy as astutely as any writer of his time. This collection shows how his theory of comedy is integrated into his practice of comic perception, and how both are integral to his entire authorship. "The Humor of Kierkegaard" is for anyone ready to be amused by human follies. Those new to Kierkegaard will discover a dazzling mind worth meeting. Those already familiar with his theory of comedy will be delighted to see it concisely set forth and exemplified. -- From publisher's description.