Episode
Why Do We Laugh? Philosophers on Jokes, Humor, and the Human Condition ~ Mira Magdalena Sickinger
- Podcast
- On Humans
- Published
- Dec 24, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 3749
- Processing state
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Summary
“The podcast is great, but one thing hasn’t been covered yet: humour. It’s an essential part of our human condition, and would certainly be worth an episode.” This listener feedback was easy to agree with. From standup comedy to nervous laughter, our lives are filled with chuckles and giggles. Why? Why do adults laugh at witty jokes whilst children laugh at the simple pleasures of peek-a-boo? And why should any of us laugh in the first place? My guest is Mira Magdalena Sickinger. a poet and a philosopher of humour from the University of Vienna. We cover a lot in the discussion: from the social roles of humour, to the politics of joking, and the therapeutic effects of a humorous attitude. In the course of the conversation, we cover the views of many intellectual giants, from Sigmund Freud to Immanuel Kant — and while the conversation includes a handful of silly jokes (be warned), it ends with a deeper reflection on how humour can serve as a window into the human condition itself. FACT CHECKING No errors have been found as of now. If you find an error in this or other episodes, get in touch via the form below. LINKS Articles and essays: OnHumans.Substack.com Support: Patreon.com/OnHumans Contact Form: https://forms.gle/h5wcmefuwvD6asos8 MENTIONS Simon Critchley | Ted Cohen | Robin Dunbar | Ágnes Heller | John Morreal | Immanuel Kant | Thomas Wilk & Steven Gimbel | V S Ramachandran | Sigmund Freud | Janet Bing & Joanne Scheibman | Thomas Nagel | Aristotle | Thomas Aquinas | John Dewey | Robin Tyler KEYWORDS Philosophy | Psychology |Anthropology | Incongruence theory | Relief theory | Superiority theory | Play theory | Humor | Blended spaces | Stasi & communism jokes in East Germany | Feminist & queer humor | Jokes | Absurdity | Ir…