A well-documented and highly intelligent book. Remarkable.—Philippe Labro, journalist and writer

Philosophy dissects the mechanisms of laughter—L’Obs

A fascinating, fluid and methodical essay. —Vanity Fair

A remarkable transdisciplinary investigation. — Marianne

An impressive collection of reflections on humour across the ages and across different registers. — Libération

A serious essay of remarkable intellectual honesty. —Le Monde

Can we laugh about everything without hurting anyone?

Philosopher Olivia Gazalé explores her subjects in a transdisciplinary way, drawing from diverse sources such as philosophy, biology, history, sociology, theology, psychology, and literature. In The Paradox of Laughter, she applies her curiosity to one of philosophy’s most challenging subjects. As an emotional phenomenon, laughter remains quite mysterious. What is laughter? How is it triggered? What are its virtues? Are we the only species that laughs? As a social fact, laughter is a cultural construction that varies across times and cultures, with multiple meanings. There isn’t just one kind of laughter, but many: sometimes joyful, sometimes hateful, laughter can be a tool for defense and subversion, an instrument of oppression and domination, or even a commercial tool.

This is why the famous question, “Can we laugh about everything?” is so challenging. If we answer yes, in the name of freedom of expression, we risk appearing insensitive to the suffering and humiliation of those repeatedly mocked. But if we answer no, on the grounds that laughter can hurt and outrage, we are accused of playing into the hands of censors, or even of killing laughter, which is essentially transgressive, inappropriate, and excessive.

This is the paradox of laughter, which Olivia Gazalé proposes to resolve by distinguishing between laughter and humor. Yes, we must laugh about everything, but laughing about everything is an art: the art of humor.

• An unprecedented and transdisciplinary synthesis covering all aspects of laughter: playful, ironic, sarcastic, satirical, parodic, burlesque, protest, blasphemous, absurd, etc.
• A fascinating and often funny journey through the history of laughter, from Antiquity to the present day, meeting thinkers, comic authors, and comedians.
• A personal and contemporary response to the oft-debated question, usually approached from an ideological angle: “Can we laugh about everything?”