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In: Philosophy·Essays, Letters & Speeches·Philosophy & Ethics
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #4352.
Henri Bergson’s Laughter is a philosophical essay that treats comedy as a living phenomenon rather than a set of abstract definitions. The work began as three articles in the French Revue de Paris, which explains its clear, almost journalistic style and the absence of heavy technical jargon. In the opening chapters Bergson asks what the “basal element” of the laughable is, then proceeds to outline three preliminary observations about the comic: it belongs only to human life, it requires a temporary suspension of feeling, and it thrives on social echo. The author illustrates his theory with everyday examples, a man’s sudden fall, the clumsy motions of an absent‑minded worker, showing how mechanical rigidity, not emotion, triggers laughter. By positioning the comic within its natural social environment, Bergson promises a fresh, functional account of why we laugh.
The prose is unmistakably late‑19th‑century French philosophy, translated into a measured English that preserves the original’s analytical rigor while remaining accessible. Bergson’s voice is both scholarly and conversational, moving from broad questions to concrete anecdotes with a steady, reflective cadence. Readers who enjoy the intersection of philosophy, psychology, and cultural analysis, especially those interested in the origins of humor, the social function of art, or the history of French thought, will find this essay rewarding. Its methodical yet vivid approach makes it suitable for students of philosophy, literary critics, and anyone curious about the deeper mechanics behind everyday laughter.
The opening · free to read
This work, by Professor Bergson, has been revised in detail by the author himself, and the present translation is the only authorised one. For this ungrudging labour of revision, for the thoroughness with which it has been carried out, and for personal sympathy in many a difficulty of word and phrase, we desire to offer our grateful acknowledgment to Professor Bergson. It may be pointed out that the essay on Laughter originally appeared in a series of three articles in one of the leading magazines in France, the Revue de Paris. This will account for the relatively simple form of the work and the comparative absence of technical terms. It will also explain why the author has confined himself to exposing and illustrating his novel theory of the comic without entering into a detailed discussion of other explanations already in the field. He none the less indicates, when discussing sundry examples, why the principal theories, to which they have given rise, appear to him inadequate. To quote only a few, one may mention those based on contrast, exaggeration, and degradation.
The book has been highly successful in France, where it is in its seventh edition. It has been translated into Russian, Polish, and Swedish. German and Hungarian translations are under preparation. Its success is due partly to the novelty of the explanation offered of the comic, and partly also to the fact that the author incidentally discusses questions of still greater interest and importance. Thus, one of the best known and most frequently quoted passages of the book is that portion of the last chapter in which the author outlines a general theory of art.
C. B. F. R.
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