Get Free Shipping on orders over $79
Wisecracks : Humor and Morality in Everyday Life - David Shoemaker

Wisecracks

Humor and Morality in Everyday Life

By: David Shoemaker

eText | 1 May 2024

At a Glance

eText


$41.22

or 4 interest-free payments of $10.30 with

 or 

Instant online reading in your Booktopia eTextbook Library *

Why choose an eTextbook?

Instant Access *

Purchase and read your book immediately

Read Aloud

Listen and follow along as Bookshelf reads to you

Study Tools

Built-in study tools like highlights and more

* eTextbooks are not downloadable to your eReader or an app and can be accessed via web browsers only. You must be connected to the internet and have no technical issues with your device or browser that could prevent the eTextbook from operating.

A philosopher's case for the importance of good—if ethically questionable—humor.

A good sense of humor is key to the good life, but a joke taken too far can get anyone into trouble. Where to draw the line is not as simple as it may seem. After all, even the most innocent quips between friends rely on deception, sarcasm, and stereotypes and often run the risk of disrespect, meanness, and harm. How do we face this dilemma without taking ourselves too seriously?

In Wisecracks, philosopher David Shoemaker examines this interplay between humor and morality and ultimately argues that even morally suspect humor is an essential part of ethical life. Shoemaker shows how improvised "wisecracks" between family and friends—unlike scripted stand-up, sketches, or serials—help us develop a critical human skill: the ability to carry on and find the funny in tragedy. In developing a new ethics of humor in defense of questionable gibes, Wisecracks offers a powerful case for humor as a healing presence in human life.

on
Desktop
Tablet
Mobile

Other Editions and Formats

Hardcover

Published: 27th August 2024

More in Philosophy

Fair Play - Steven E. Landsburg

eBOOK

$9.99

The Promise of Rest - Reynolds Price

eBOOK

Somewhere in the Night - Nicholas Christopher

eBOOK

Story of Philosophy - Will Durant

eBOOK

The Art of Power - Thich Nhat Hanh

eBOOK