Comedy, Seriously A Philosophical Study

Comedy, Seriously provides a philosophical interpretation of comedy and argues that comedy displays a particular kind of rationality that reflects philosophical thinking. In particular, that comedy is defined not so much by laughter or jokes, but rather the structure of its plot, which is isomorphic with that of the philosophical argument. Comedy allows for the resolution of a conflict and the achievement of well-being and equality through action that follows the comic plot. Moreover, such action is propelled by the 'thinker on stage,' who, as socially and politically oppressed, contributes to the liberation of all and the achievement of the good life. Comedy, therefore, establishes the universal pattern for justice and well-being and allows us to rethink the notion of subjectivity not as the modern isolated subject, but rather as integrated with others through shared action and dialogical involvement.

Dmitri Nikulin is Professor of Philosophy at The New School for Social Research in New York, USA. He is the author of a number of books including Matter, Imagination and Geometry (2002), On Dialogue (2006), and Dialectic and Dialogue (2010). He is also the editor of The Other Plato (2012) and Memory: A Philosophical History (forthcoming).

Preface
PART I: HISTORY OF COMEDY
1. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: On the Ancient Origins of Comedy
2. The Moderns: The Romantic Loss of Comedy
PART II: LOGIC OF COMEDY
3. Everyone Joins the Fight: The Dialectic of Comic Action
4. Whatever Works: Structure and Topics of Comedy
5. The Catastrophe of the Good Ending
PART III: ETHICS OF COMEDY
6. Foolish Wisdom: The Philosopher as a Comic Figure
Conclusion