Humour is a funny thing - everyone knows it but no-one knows what it is. This book addresses the question 'What is humour?' by first untangling the definitions of humour, amusement and funniness before then providing a new theory of humour which draws upon recent research in philosophy, psychology, linguistics and neuroscience. The theory is built up without assuming any prior knowledge and illustrated through humorous examples which are both entertaining and educational for anyone curious about what makes things funny. The book is then an accessible illumination of joking matters from dinner tables to online platforms to comedy clubs.

Lucidly provides a new and comprehensive theory of humour Incorporates a wealth of interdisciplinary research from psychology, linguistics and neuroscience Opens the field to those inquiring into this fast-growing area of philosophy

Autorentext
Alan Roberts has taught philosophy at the University of Sussex and University College London in the UK. His research on humour has been published in academic books, philosophy journals and online magazines.

Klappentext
Humour is a funny thing everyone knows it but no-one knows what it is. This book addresses the question 'What is humour?' by first untangling the definitions of humour, amusement and funniness before then providing a new theory of humour which draws upon recent research in philosophy, psychology, linguistics and neuroscience. The theory is built up without assuming any prior knowledge and illustrated through humorous examples in a way that is both educational and entertaining for anyone curious to know what makes things funny. This makes the book an accessible illumination on joking matters from dinner tables to online platforms to comedy clubs.

Inhalt
Chapter 1: Introduction.- Chapter 2: Amusement, Funniness and Humour.- Chapter 3: Early Theories of Amusement.- Chapter 4: The Cognitive Component of Amusement.- Chapter 5: The Affective Component of Amusement.- Chapter 6 : A Theory of Amusement.