Laughing at nothing : humor as a response to nihilism / John Marmysz.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Marmysz, John, 1964-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Nihilism (Philosophy).

Comic, The.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (218 p.)

Place of Publication:

Albany : State University of New York Press, c2003.

Language Note:

English

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.

Contents:

Front Matter

Contents

Acknowledgments

The Problem of Nihilism

Scrutinizing Nihilism

German and Russian Nihilism

Nietzschean Nihilism

World-War and Postwar Nihilism

Nihilistic Incongruity

Decline, Ascent, and Humor

Decline, Decay, and Falling Away

Ambition, Aspiration, and Ascent

Humor and Incongruity

Humor as a Response to Nihilism

Postscript

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. 195-202) and index.

ISBN:

9780791486283

0791486281

9781417536207

1417536209

OCLC:

61367796