In this Book
- Laughing at Nothing: Humor as a Response to Nihilism
- Book
- 2003
- Published by: State University of New York Press
summary
Disputing the common misconception that nihilism is wholly negative and necessarily damaging to the human spirit, John Marmysz offers a clear and complete definition to argue that it is compatible, and indeed preferably responded to, with an attitude of good humor. He carefully scrutinizes the phenomenon of nihilism as it appears in the works, lives, and actions of key figures in the history of philosophy, literature, politics, and theology, including Nietzsche, Heidegger, Camus, and Mishima. While suggesting that there ultimately is no solution to the problem of nihilism, Marmysz proposes a way of utilizing the anxiety and despair that is associated with the problem as a spur toward liveliness, activity, and the celebration of life.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- Acknowledgments
- p. vii
- Part I. SCRUTINIZING NIHILISM
- Chapter Two. NIETZSCHEAN NIHILISM
- pp. 21-42
- Chapter Four. NIHILISTIC INCONGRUITY
- pp. 61-88
- Part Two. DECLINE, ASCENT, AND HUMOR
- Chapter Seven. HUMOR AND INCONGRUITY
- pp. 123-154
- Conclusion. HUMOR AS A RESPONSE TO NIHILISM
- pp. 155-166
- Postscript
- pp. 167-172
- Bibliography
- pp. 195-202
Additional Information
ISBN
9780791486283
DOI
MARC Record
OCLC
56408536
Pages
217
Launched on MUSE
2012-01-01
Language
English
Open Access
No