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Full Idea
Man is the only animal that laughs, so a starting point for all enquiries into laughter must be the hypothesis that it is an attribute of reason (though that gets us no further than our definition of reason).
Gist of Idea
Since only men laugh, it seems to be an attribute of reason
Source
Roger Scruton (Laughter [1982], §1)
Book Ref
Scruton,Roger: 'The Aesthetic Understanding' [Methuen 1983], p.152
A Reaction
I would be inclined to say that both our capacity for reason and our capacity for laughter (and, indeed, our capacity for language) are a consequence of our evolved capacity for meta-thought.
| 12169 | Since only men laugh, it seems to be an attribute of reason [Scruton] |
| 12174 | Only rational beings are attentive without motive or concern [Scruton] |
| 12170 | Amusement rests on superiority, or relief, or incongruity [Scruton] |
| 12172 | Objects of amusement do not have to be real [Scruton] |
| 12173 | The central object of amusement is the human [Scruton] |