Slavic Studies

This course takes an interdisciplinary approach to the phenomenon of humor, combining literary studies, culture studies, rhetoric, philosophy, ethics, psychology, and political theory. The course presents a historical introduction, comparing examples of humor and comedy from different parts of the world and different eras, focusing on the political power of laughter and comedy. Key concepts like satire, irony, parody, black humor, wit, resistance, subversion, absurd humor etc. are clarified and major philosophical theories of humor are discussed. The main focus of the course is Czech culture and the many ways humor is present in it. Was communism a “regime that was laughed out of existence”? Why did Czechoslovak citizens find absurd humour so relatable? Is there “nothing sacred” for Czechs? Apart from literary masterpieces by Hašek, Kafka, Havel, Kundera and others, the course takse a look at comedy in theater (Jára Cimrman Theatre), film (Czechoslovak New Wave) and other forms of art. The readings always include an excerpt from a humorous text and a short theoretical text pertaining to the type of humor or the problem presented. From the divine to the obscene, from the hyper-intellectual to the nonsensical, from practical jokes to political satire, the rich palette of humor provides a unique view of Czech culture.