An essay on laughter and transcendence

Abstract

Laughter is a phenomenon that we employ, observe, practice and allude to daily. It has various beneficial effects, whether a sense of security, an enhancement of ties with others or a release from stress. There are various theories of laughter in philosophy, all of which have their strengths and weaknesses; albeit being a useful practice, speculation with regards to the formulation of theories of laughter has always failed to account for all possibilities of laughter. Why is this the case? Answering this question will be the main aspiration of this paper, and it will also aim to provide a different take on what we usually encounter in this field.