Hum 3311 - Laughter from Joubert to Bataille: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities

Institution:

Washington University in St Louis

Subject:

Description:

In this course we trace a tradition of writing on laughter. While we read texts that might explain laughter by way of comedy or humor, we are interested in laughter itself. What does the body in laughter look like? How does laughter sound? Where, when, and how does laughter happen? What is laughter's relation to language, to song, to thought? What kind of communities does laughter form? We read texts by Joubert, Erasmus, Hobbes, Descartes, Chesterfield, Kant, Bergson, Freud, Bataille, Sarraute, and Ellison. We listen to music such as Louis Armstrong's "Laughin' Louie" and we watch films, including Laughing Gas, The Man Who Laughs, and A Question of Silence.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.wustl.edu

Phone Number:

(314) 935-5000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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