Sophistication and superiority: An appraisal of ‘True Humour’

In this paper, we address true humour, which three luminaries in Western thought have already sought to resolve. They were, respectively, Joseph Addison in 18th-century Britain, Arthur Schopenhauer in 19th-century Germany, and Luigi Pirandello in 20th-century Italy. First, we present their reflections about humour in general and their specific conceptions of ‘true humour’ in particular. Second, we offer a concise rendition of the three main theories of humour in Western philosophy, i.e., superiority, incongruity and relief. In the third and last place, we discuss true humour in the works of Addison, Schopenhauer and Pirandello, indicating how it constitutes an instance of the superiority theory of humour, despite this theory being, in modern times, the subject of extensive criticism. We conclude with some reflections on how the three main theories of humour can be combined.