History and Form: Comedy, Humor, and Jokes in the Western Academic Context

Author: Yan Guanglin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: One of the purposes of this book is to academically recall and revive the long-standing thoughts and theoretical systems of Western theorists on laughter and comedy over two thousand years, through deeper and clearer intellectual dialogues with Western sages, thereby grasping the truth or reality in their discourse. Another aspiration of this book is to attempt to create a window for readers to understand Western modern philosophy, modern art, and modern mass culture. This aspiration is possible because the Western theories of laughter, comedy, and humor have played an undeniable role in the formation of Western modern spirit. Regarding this role, it becomes clear with a brief examination of the historical trajectory of concepts such as comedy, humor, absurdity, carnivalesque, and irony.