Development of a Diachronic Model of the Laughter Response through the Application of Husserl's Phenomenology of Internal Time Consciousness

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24520010
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Philosophy/Ethics
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: WEEKS Mark 名古屋大学, 国際言語文化研究科, 准教授 (70514222)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: Laughter / Time / Consciousness / Subjectivity / Humor

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The initial study of Husserl’s phenomenology revealed the difficulty of understanding the experience of laughter within the framework of so-called ‘transcendental subjectivity’, in which emphasis is placed upon the continuity of the flow of consciousness. This enabled the researcher to explain why researchers have had difficulty explaining the experience of laughter without shifting focus from laughter itself to the study of humor. Papers published and presented by the researcher demonstrate the benefits of treating laughter outside of notions of communication or emotional content, by viewing it as a mechanism dislocating the flow of time consciousness. This reconceptualization of laughter may be usefully applied not only to philosophy but also to cultural, literary and education studies. The research has also opened connections to the increased study of time in the fields of psychology and sociology.

Free Research Field

哲学