Autonomy and Humour

Humour is deeply human and yet as individual as each and every one of us. It is a communicative gift that enables us to approach people, handle difficult moments with ease, and not take ourselves too seriously. Every society, every group, knows its own jokes, and it is assumed that humor is culturally dependent. Is this really the case, or do we need to distinguish between humour itself and the content of humor? What significance does humour and laughter have in a person's life, for their personal autonomy and that of their fellow human beings? Is humor mere trivial playfulness, or can it also act subversively – for example, by exposing injustice and power imbalances? Besides the anger of God or the seriousness of religions, is there humour in theology? What about politically incorrect or macabre jokes, or black humour? Does humour even require a morality? And why do we find something funny in the first place? The Philosophical talks 2024 will explore humor from various perspectives in eight events, because humour, too, should be taken seriously.

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