Situating Morality in Humour

Abstract

The question of ethics in humour is a challenging one. It is unclear as to how we could apply the theories of ethics to the unique challenges posed by humour. Some of these challenges include; how humour subverts the traditional notions of morality and is often contextual. As our understanding of humour and ethics continues to evolve, it is likely that new questions and considerations will be needed. The paper examines the notion and need of ethics in this domain, using the theories of Bergson, Smuts and Gaut. It begins with locating ethics of humour and considers the normativeness in humour as well as the shortcomings of the existing theories. The aim of the paper is to bring about the debates of the complex relationship humour and morality share, and address the sensitivity of the issue in order to tackle theultimate question of ‘how seriously must a joke be taken’.