How the Theory of Evolution Can Explain Humor

Humor is a phenomenon that cannot be explained in common terms. It requires a philosophical way of thinking that combines a diverse range of completely unrelated subjects. If one was to ask a philosopher to explain what they do in one word, they would reply "Why?" Philosophy does not ask how, what, or even when, but why? Why are things the way they are? Here in lays the problem when analyzing humor from a philosophical perspective. The three theories explained in Simon Critchley's "On Humour"are just that; theories. A theory can be defined as "an assumption based on limited information or knowledge," which from a scientific standpoint can be viewed as an educated guess. The three theories are: the superiority theory, relief theory, and the incongruity theory. Each proposes different sets of reasoning for why humor makes us laugh, but none ask the question, "Why do we laugh?" There is no real answer to this black hole of a question; however there is a different way of looking at it.