zondag 18 november 2007

Laughter. An Essay on the Meaning of the Comic.

Referentie:

Bergson, Henri, Laughter. An Essay on the Meaning of the Comic, translated by Brereton, Cloudesley and Rotwell, Fred, Paris-London, 1997, 179 p. (oorspronkelijke uitgave: Le rire. Essai sur la signification du comique, Paris, 1899).

Informatief extract:

"In this great philosophical essay, Henri Bergson explores why people laugh and what laughter means.
The author of Creative Evolution and other influential works of the Twentieth Century begins with a discussion of laughter in general, focusing in the second part on laughter in situations and the comic in words, and, in the final section, on the comic in character. from Punch-and-Judy shows to Figaro, from a man falling down in the street to the great comic figures of Molière's plays, Bergson explores the implications and full meaning of laughter, concluding ultimately that laughter is corrective: “By laughter, society avenges itself for the liberties taken with it. It would fail in its object if it bore the stamp of sympathy or kindness.” Accordingly, Bergson argues, laughter serves a useful function to mankind." (abstract)

Creatieve commentaar:

Deze referentie vond ik via de Routledge Encyclopedia of Phylosophy.

In de UA-bibliotheek staat het oorspronkelijke (franstalige) werk van Bergson, maar een Engelse vertaling is (voor mij) misschien makkelijker te lezen.

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