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Comedy as Philosophy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 April 2025

Julian Baggini
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Abstract

Comedy often plays with philosophical ideas, but can it actually do philosophy? Focusing on the examples of The Simpsons, the Monty Python movies, and the Coen Brothers’ The Big Lebowski, this contribution argues that not only can it do so, but some of its tropes, methods, and techniques are apt to do some philosophical things better than straight argumentation. It can use humour as a vehicle to explore and question fundamental aspects of human existence. It properly reasons, not by constructing arguments but by showing and making us attend to the world so as to see its shape and nature better. It can offer unique insights, challenge conventional wisdom, and provoke introspection by blending entertainment with philosophical inquiry. Comedy can serve as a powerful medium for engaging with deep philosophical ideas in a relatable and engaging way. Comedic philosophy tends to be deflationary, encouraging a philosophically helpful mentality of not being overconfident and being sceptical about our own capacities to understand the truth.

Type
Paper
Information
Royal Institute of Philosophy Supplements , Volume 96: The Philosophy of Comedy , October 2024 , pp. 9 - 27
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Institute of Philosophy and the contributors 2025

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