Philosophy and humor

Abstract

Humour helps us to hoist and fasten the sail with which we navigate the seriousness of our lives. Ever since the Classical period, laughter and humour have informed philosophical thought and from the nineteenth century onwards, many modern thinkers have continued to debate this subject. This paper reviews the debate in the context of Catalan writing during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, particularly the writing of Francesc Pujols. In it, the author compares Pujols and other Catalan writers with their contemporaries in other parts of Europe, like the Hungarian Béla Hamvas.

key words: Humour, greguería, Francesc Pujols, Béla Hamvas, Xavier Nogués, Johan Huizinga, Gómez de la Serna.