Abstract
In number 35 of Think, James Spiegel presents reasons for why flatulence is funny. In this article I will address five issues that I find problematic in his account: (1) His claim that laughter always results from a pleasant psychological shift is false. (2) His argumentative move from what makes paradigm cases funny to what makes flatulence funny is unwarranted. (3) His notion of a psychological shift is not specific enough and lacks explanatory power. (4) The claim that funniness of flatulence involves superiority is doubtful. (5) His talk about 'nervous energy' is questionable and has implausible implications.
| Item Type: | Journal article |
|---|---|
| Research Centers: | Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences (GSN) |
| Subjects: | 500 Science > 500 Science |
| ISSN: | 1477-1756 |
| Language: | English |
| Item ID: | 55976 |
| Date Deposited: | 14. Jun 2018, 10:00 |
| Last Modified: | 04. Nov 2020, 13:36 |
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