On the Essence of Laughter

Charles Baudelaire's essay "On the Essence of Laughter" posits that laughter stems from a sense of superiority. He argues it arises from the collision of humanity's awareness of its infinite misery (in relation to the absolute) and its infinite grandeur (in relation to beasts).1

Baudelaire distinguishes between the comic and the grotesque. The comic, he suggests, is an imitation mixed with creativity, reflecting superiority of man over man. The grotesque, conversely, is a creation mixed with imitation, reflecting man's superiority over nature. Laughter from the grotesque is considered more profound and primitive than that from the comic.1

Other theories, like those from Gian Giorgio Trissino and Sir Philip Sidney, also link laughter to a sense of superiority, often stemming from observing the folly or incongruity in others. Henri Bergson viewed the comic as a mechanical element imposed on the living, with laughter serving to correct deviations from social norms.23