Laughter Theories

 Joshua Singh

Dr. Ellis

EN 340D

13 February, 2023

Spencer and Descartes

It is interesting to note how Descartes knew about the intricate workings of the human body that produced a laugh. The sound that is emitted as a response to an external stimulus produces an “explosive voice” that is more of a sound than a word (Descartes 22). He notes that laughter accompanies feelings of joy but it is not a response to the greatest of joys. He says that there are other causes to laughter other than just joy or rather a different form of joy. He says that hatred and mockery also add to the sense of joy one experiences that results in laughter (Descartes 24). This is a new way of thinking about the causes of laughter that I had not yet explored. It seems Descartes argues that joy must be mixed with small amounts of certain other emotions such as scorn or hate for someone or something. According to him, it is not impossible to experience a sense of joy when someone is being ridiculed that you hate or scorn a bit.

Similarly, Spencer describes the reasons that people laugh and why the body decides to expel a gust of breath as a response to stimuli. He describes laughter as the body’s response to releasing “nervous tension” and that there are many “forms of joyous causes” for laughter (Spencer 102-104). The body lets out an involuntary and powerful breath of air in the form of a laughter to relieve nervous tension. This is interesting because it is common for people to laugh in nervous situations or when they are anxious. Like Descartes, Spencer also describes the different forms of joy that elicit laughter. Although these different forms of joy can cause laughter, Spencer believes they are not “sole additional causes” (Descartes 104). In essence, laughter is an expulsion of energy, tension, or nervousness that has many different emotional causes.


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