Abhinavagupta/Sunthar on Humor (Hâsya) Theory

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Abhinavagupta's Conception of Humor:

The Aesthetics and Semiotics of the Indian clown

I have been meditating on a very serious subject...humor!
But the funny thing about it is that I don't find it at all humorous!

This reworking of Sunthar's Ph.D. thesis (1983) incorporates the theoretical results of all our subsequent research into the anthropology of Hinduism and transgressive sacrality across the world's religions. To render the work more accessible to a diversity of readers, I have not only partitioned the materials into three relatively independent parts and added several chapters to absorb the lengthy footnotes and appendix to the original thesis. I've also capped the edifice with a chapter on transgressive sacrality that in fact constitutes the missing foundation of the original thesis. Fresh developments in the text have been color-coded  for the benefit of those already familiar with the original thesis (and to facilitate my own work in progress).

Introduction

Part I: Humor and Laughter: Psychology, Sociology, Cognitive Science 

  1. The Problem of Defining Humor - notes

  2. Gurdjieff's Theory of Laughter - notes

  3. Laughter and Bisociation

  4. Laughter and Distress

  5. Suddenness: Hâsa and Vismaya (Surprise) distinguished

  6. Bisociation and Incongruity

Part II: Aesthetics of Hâsa and Hâsya in Rasa Theory

  1. Rasa in Sanskrit Theater

  2. Hâsa and Hâsya as distinguished in Rasa theory

  3. The Role of Hâsya in Sanskrit Love Poetry

  4. Hâsya and the semblance of Rasa

Part III: VidûSaka: the Semiotics of Transgression in Hindu Culture

  1. To Laugh or not to Laugh: the Semblance of Humor

  2. The VidûSaka's World: the Semiotics of Transgression

  3. Wit and Linguistic Ambiguity

  4. Elements  of the Riddle Play (vîthî)

  5. Transgressive Sacrality in the Hindu Tradition

Abhinavagupta's Conception of Humor: Conclusion

Glossary [incomplete]

Bibliography