Plato on Humour and Laughter [Philosophy of Humour]

#humour #humourtheory #plato Plato is regarded as being the first person to propose the superiority theory of humour and laughter. He is also regarded as the first known philosopher to comment on comedy, humour and laughter in a meaningful way. CHECK OUT THIS PLAYLIST Humour Philosophers, Theorists and Thinkers 👉 READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE: 👉 https://jonathansandling.com/plato-on-humour-and-laughter/ 00:00 Intro 00:58 Who was Plato? 01:21 Plato and Superiority Theory 02:49 Plato on Humour and Laughter in Republic 04:01 Plato on Humour and Laughter in Philebus 04:57 Plato on Humour and Laughter in Laws 05:25 Outro Plato’s predominant opinion on humour and laughter is that it is generated as a result of another person’s inadequacies or ridiculousness in comparison to our own. This perspective on humour aligns with behaviours such as mocking and teasing and using another person as the ‘butt’ of the joke. Plato believed that humour and laughter occur in hierarchical situations where there are power and competency dynamics that can be exploited. Due to this perspective, Plato’s thinking on humour and laughter have been central in the development of superiority theory, which remains one of the most commonly referenced humour theories today. Plato also considered humour to be at odds with our desired ideal state, which is one of seriousness and intellect. He didn’t approve of laughter as he believed it was associated with fundamental human instincts which negatively impact one’s ability to reason. It was believed that emotions such as humour and laughter override rational self-control and should therefore be avoided and controlled to minimise their detrimental impact.