What’s So Funny?
WHAT’S SO FUNNY? Jacqueline Reagan
United States Military Academy at West Point
Abstract
The concept of humor has baffled philosophers for centuries. While theories have
emerged over time, none have successfully established the necessary and sufficient
conditions for humor. This paper compares Thomas Hobbes’ Superiority Theory
with Peter McGra w and Caleb Warren’s Benign Violation Theory. While the
Benign Violation Theory describes humor better than the Superiority Theory, it
does not provide the necessary and sufficient conditions for humor as it claims. In
response to this shortcoming and in contribution toward a more encompassing
theory of humor, this paper considers how mental state, particularly receptivity,
plays a part in establishing conditions for humor.
Volume VI (2023)
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