Does the God of classical theism have a sense of humour? [English translation]
In this paper, I discuss whether the attribute of a sense of humour is compatible with the theistic conception of God, understood as an omnipotent, perfect and omniscient being. I begin by outlining the intuitions present in common language and in fiction regarding the attribution of humour to God. I then discuss popular theories of humour – superiority, release and incongruity – pointing out their incompatibility with a theistic concept of God. I conclude by wondering why people have a sense of humour, while the answer to this question marks the paper's main thesis: although God knows what is funny, he does not have a sense of humour.
Authors
- Piotr Biłgorajski
Institutions
- John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (PL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Laboratorium Mentis
- Published
- 2025-02-13
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.52097/lm.9483
- Primary Topic
- Theology and Philosophy of Evil
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00