Humour and value

‘Humour and value’ concerns the relation of humour to value, specifically in terms of its social functions. Humour, and the comic amusement that attends it, has a crucial role to play in the construction of communities. It can serve as a disseminator as well as an enforcer of norms. But the social function of humour also raises certain moral questions, including: When is humour immoral? Is laughing at immoral humour itself immoral? These questions are especially pressing in our times where judgements of so-called political correctness are rampant and where many contemporary comics seem...

‘Humour and value’ concerns the relation of humour to value, specifically in terms of its social functions. Humour, and the comic amusement that attends it, has a crucial role to play in the construction of communities. It can serve as a disseminator as well as an enforcer of norms. But the social function of humour also raises certain moral questions, including: When is humour immoral? Is laughing at immoral humour itself immoral? These questions are especially pressing in our times where judgements of so-called political correctness are rampant and where many contemporary comics seem dedicated to responding to the forces of political correctness by pushing the envelope at an ever-escalating pace.