A Funny Thought: The Philosophy of Humor

Tuesday 5 May 2026

9:30 – 10:25am
What do theories of humour teach us?
Laurent Jaffro, professor of philosophy, head of the Sorb'rising Norms and Values of Humour project, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, ISJPS

10:30 – 11:25am 
Humour and cognitive dissonance, beyond incongruity
Samar Haidar, doctoral researcher, University of Geneva

11:25 – 11:35am 
Break

11:35am – 12:30pm 
The nature of humour: a defence of play theory 
Matthias Blondel, doctoral researcher, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, ISJPS

12:30 – 2:15pm 
Lunch

2:15 – 3:10pm 
The philosophy of humour in 45 chapters 
Lydia Amir, professor of philosophy, Tufts University

3:15 – 4:10pm 
Is there an illocutionary force in humorous utterances?
Bruno Ambroise, philosophy researcher, CNRS, ISJPS

4:15 – 4:35pm 
Break 

4:35 – 5:30pm
Self-deprecation 
Samuel Lepine, senior lecturer, Université Clermont-Auvergne

5:35 – 6:30pm 
Joke Capital: A Contextualist View of Humor Ethics
Steven Gimbel, professor of philosophy, Gettysburg College

Wednesday 6 May 2026

9am
Welcome

9:30 – 10:25am
Laughing and destroying 
Stéphane Lemaire, senior lecturer (HDR), Department of Philosophy, Université de Rennes 1

10:30 – 11:25am
Propagandist humour 
Constant Bonnard, postdoctoral researcher, University of Bern

11:25 – 11:35am 
Break

11:35am – 12:30pm 
Humour, silences, violence: a strategy of the speakable?
Camille Riverti, research officer in anthropology, CNRS, CREDA

12:30 – 2:15pm 
Lunch

2:15 – 3:10pm 
When does a joke become emotionally appropriate?
Alexandre Mateescu, doctoral researcher, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, ISJPS

3:15 – 4:10pm
Under what conditions can an immoral joke be funny (or not)? An Aristotelian response 
Pierre Destrée, qualified researcher, FNRS, UCLouvain

4:15 – 4:35pm 
Break 

4:35 – 5:30pm 
The racist joke, between humour and insult?
Magali Bessone, professor of philosophy, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, ISJPS

Conference organised by Matthias Blondel, Ronan Bretel and Laurent Jaffro (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne)

Practical information

Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
Centre Panthéon, 12 place du Panthéon
75005 Paris
Room 6

Registration is free but mandatory.
Please download the PDF ticket that will be sent to you with your registration confirmation: it will be required to enter the university.
A valid ID may also be requested.