The present age is not merely an epoch of discovery; it is also a period of revision of the various elements of knowledge. Having recognised that there are no phenomena of which the first cause is still accessible, science has resumed the examination of her ancient certitudes, and has proved their fragility ... more »

What does laughter mean? What is the basal element in the laughable? What common ground can we find between the grimace of a merry-andrew, a play upon words, an equivocal situation in a burlesque and a scene of high comedy? What method of distillation will yield us invariably the same essence from which ... more »

There surely may come a time for each of us, if we have lived with any animation or interest, if we have had any constant or even fitful desire to penetrate and grasp the significance of the strange adventure of life, a time, I say, when we may look back a little, not sentimentally or with any hope of ... more »

This book has been written at the request of the Student Christian Movement, and is addressed in the first place to men and women of the student age. I have undertaken the task with great gladness because my long and happy contact with men and women through the Student Movement has taught me how great ... more »

Que signifie le rire? Qu'y a-t-il au fond du risible ? Que trouverait-on de commun entre une grimace de pitre, un jeu de mots, un quiproquo de vaudeville, une scène de fine comédie? Quelle distillation nous donnera l'essence, toujours la même, à laquelle tant de produits divers empruntent ou leur ... more »

This volume has been compiled chiefly for the benefit of opium-eaters. Its subject is one indeed which might be made alike attractive to medical men who have a fancy for books that are professional only in an accidental way; to general readers who would like to see gathered into a single volume the scattered ... more »

Man's interest in character is founded on an intensely practical need. In whatsoever relationship we deal with our fellows, we base our intercourse largely on our understanding of their characters. The trader asks concerning his customer, «Is he honest?» and the teacher asks about the pupil, «Is he earnest ... more »

Vor jetzt zehn Jahren habe ich in den «Philosophischen Monatsheften» eine Reihe von Aufsätzen über die «Psychologie der Komik» zu veröffentlichen begonnen. Teils eigenes Bedürfnis, teils der Wunsch anderer, hat mich zu einer Umarbeitung und Erweiterung dieser Aufsätze veranlasst. Daraus ist schliesslich ... more »