Philosophy Is Comedy

It’s a party until,

TALKING HEAD 1
Now, brother. What you wanna do is actuate into
practice the highest manifestation of yourself.

TALKING HEAD 2
You talkin’ aesthetics of selfhood, ain’t cha?

TALKING HEAD 1
Sho you right. But wait a minute. Consider the pleasure
of the public through art. You cain’t jes please yosef.

TALKING HEAD 2
How you gonna please others ain’t pleasin’ yosef?

TALKING HEAD 1
Well, did Jimi Hendrix invent heavy metal?

TALKING HEAD 2
Now listen up. Taz Lightnin’ taught
Hank Williams his fundamentals and --

SOCIALITE 1
Gentlemen! Pondering the imponderables, are we?

SOCIALITE 2
I’m getting hors d’oeuvres in the other room. Anybody?

SOCIALITE 1
Me too!

SOCIALITE 3
Me three!

As the heady conversation progresses, the socially adept vacate the den for hors d’oeuvres in the living room. For more on the conversation:

https://youtu.be/8ts2ePmYEQ4

https://youtu.be/Emf10fPkVT4

Philosophy is laugh-out-loud good times for those who love it, especially in the heat of battle with all marbles on the table.

The best philosophers want to live beyond winning_losing because – know it or not – being any good – losing-yet-interesting is better than winning-but-conventional. It means the dance is not over and losing to keep dancing – like 180 Proof taught me about gamblers – “that’s passion, man!”

https://thephilosophyforum.com/discussion/comment/672802

What’s more fun – if you’re a blabbermouth – than answering a question that can’t be answered?

What’s more inspiring than buffooning for a planet lacking all desire to solve the world’s problems?

When I say philosophy is comedy, I don’t exactly mean: a fusillade of Henny Youngman one-liners; Bob Hope snarking the mighty with taunts; Dave Chappelle body-slamming the sexual diaspora.

I mean Quine dropkicking analyticity with some anti-de re modal logic before getting pancaked into the mud by Kripke and Plantinga.

Philosophy can get serious – see word salad above – but, essentially, it ain’t serious. It’s comedy. Entertainment, y’all.

When a politician declares war, alerting the nation to the best and the brightest going down harm’s way, losing their lives, that’s drama. War can sometimes make us laugh, but, essentially, it’s unfunny.

Philosophy looks serious, until you get close enough to see Wizard of Oz in a big mask; a Munchkin backstage pulling levers keeping alive illusion of lion at full roar.

Some modal logic: the politician declaring war ain’t funny whilst the philosopher declaring war on declaring war is funny. The two declarations are in different modes.

If you’re a sane person, it’s no fun sending young people to their destruction. Drama.

If you’re a passionate person, it’s big fun debating sending young people to their destruction. Comedy.

It’s the difference of intentions that separates the politician from the philosopher. The politician, declaring war, grabs the necessity prong of the Modal Logic Fork. The philosopher, declaring war-on-war, grabs the possibility prong.

Well, that’s the logical difference between drama and comedy. Drama concerns real and necessary danger. Comedy concerns possible and avoidable danger. Drama breeds dread, comedy breeds (release of pent up anxiety) laughter.

Since life always presents danger, the omnipresence of danger sometimes makes drama look like comedy and vice versa.

How is it that philosophy, so formidably intellectual, lands in the comedy column?

By its nature, philosophy cannot be content with reality per se. Serious concern with reality per se is reportage.

When you look at some of the raging debates herein, the question: What is real? appears important.

Well, the question: What is real? is metaphysics. Well, as soon as you’re asking that question, reality becomes a football kicking up, down and around the field.

Philosophy tries to land on the necessity prong of the Modal Logic Fork; it does land on the possible prong.

The blood face of passionate ideas gets expressed to audience. With racing mind and pounding heart, Starbuck transforms mundane into vivid. Dance the dance with jeering, you fancy thinker.

Everybody wants to give world their piece of mind. Who’s got ego enough to do it?

We do!