{"id":{"repo_id":"mississippi","oai_identifier":"oai:egrove.olemiss.edu:etd-1747"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mississippi/oai:egrove.olemiss.edu:etd-1747","repository":{"repo_id":"mississippi","name":"University of Mississippi","base_url":"https://egrove.olemiss.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Laughing Matters","abstract":"This thesis defends a weak version of the superiority theory of humor: the superiority theory explains some instances of humor better than the incongruity theory. This thesis features an overview of the philosophy of humor in ancient, modern, and contemporary philosophy; this section contains criticisms of the incongruity theory. Connections between the superiority theory and humor about death are explored. Parallels are then drawn between this type of humor and Aristotle's great-souled man. A new type of laughter, jubilant laughter, is subsequently identified as being similar to laughter classified under the superiority theory since both exhibit a triumphant quality. But there is an important difference between the two: humor classified under the superiority theory involves a comparison with others while jubilant laughter does not. Finally, the implications of the superiority theory on the ethics of humor are examined, and ethical norms are adapted from Aristotle's account of the great-souled man.","abstract_html":"This thesis defends a weak version of the superiority theory of humor: the superiority theory explains some instances of humor better than the incongruity theory. This thesis features an overview of the philosophy of humor in ancient, modern, and contemporary philosophy; this section contains criticisms of the incongruity theory. Connections between the superiority theory and humor about death are explored. Parallels are then drawn between this type of humor and Aristotle's great-souled man. A new type of laughter, jubilant laughter, is subsequently identified as being similar to laughter classified under the superiority theory since both exhibit a triumphant quality. But there is an important difference between the two: humor classified under the superiority theory involves a comparison with others while jubilant laughter does not. Finally, the implications of the superiority theory on the ethics of humor are examined, and ethical norms are adapted from Aristotle's account of the great-souled man.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Moore, Matthew"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"M.A. in Philosophy","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Philosophy and Religion","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Robert Westmoreland","Timothy P. Yenter","Steven Skultety"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2013-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:05:53Z","subjects":["Death","Incongruity Theory","Jubilant Laughter","Philosophy Of Humor","Superiority Theory","Philosophy"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/748","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Robert Westmoreland","Timothy P. Yenter","Steven Skultety"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Moore, Matthew"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2019-06-20T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Philosophy and Religion"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M.A. in Philosophy"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Death","Incongruity Theory","Jubilant Laughter","Philosophy Of Humor","Superiority Theory","Philosophy"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/748"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This thesis defends a weak version of the superiority theory of humor: the superiority theory explains some instances of humor better than the incongruity theory. This thesis features an overview of the philosophy of humor in ancient, modern, and contemporary philosophy; this section contains criticisms of the incongruity theory. Connections between the superiority theory and humor about death are explored. Parallels are then drawn between this type of humor and Aristotle's great-souled man. A new type of laughter, jubilant laughter, is subsequently identified as being similar to laughter classified under the superiority theory since both exhibit a triumphant quality. But there is an important difference between the two: humor classified under the superiority theory involves a comparison with others while jubilant laughter does not. Finally, the implications of the superiority theory on the ethics of humor are examined, and ethical norms are adapted from Aristotle's account of the great-souled man."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Laughing Matters"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Robert Westmoreland","Timothy P. Yenter","Steven Skultety"],"dc:creator":["Moore, Matthew"],"dc:date.available":["2019-06-20T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This thesis defends a weak version of the superiority theory of humor: the superiority theory explains some instances of humor better than the incongruity theory. This thesis features an overview of the philosophy of humor in ancient, modern, and contemporary philosophy; this section contains criticisms of the incongruity theory. Connections between the superiority theory and humor about death are explored. Parallels are then drawn between this type of humor and Aristotle's great-souled man. A new type of laughter, jubilant laughter, is subsequently identified as being similar to laughter classified under the superiority theory since both exhibit a triumphant quality. But there is an important difference between the two: humor classified under the superiority theory involves a comparison with others while jubilant laughter does not. Finally, the implications of the superiority theory on the ethics of humor are examined, and ethical norms are adapted from Aristotle's account of the great-souled man."],"dc:identifier":["https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/748"],"dc:subject":["Death","Incongruity Theory","Jubilant Laughter","Philosophy Of Humor","Superiority Theory","Philosophy"],"dc:title":["Laughing Matters"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Philosophy and Religion"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["M.A. in Philosophy"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:05:53Z"}