Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)
Walt Whitman, Song of Myself, 51
Salvation by Laughter
Perhaps you know people—and I do, too—whose sense of humor is their salvation. Even in the face of incredibly difficult circumstances—illness, humiliation, financial hardship, grief, or personal failure—their ability to find humor, to laugh, sustains them and keeps them going. Their sense of humor is a form of grace—a source of nourishment that helps them endure.
Open and relational theologians speak of God as a living presence who seeks the flourishing of life. Some people, perhaps many people, find this flourishing, among other places, in moments of laughter. In the laughter itself we experience a moment of playfulness, of joy. And we gain, in the moment, perspective. We see that life is much wider than we'd imagined, and that our burdens, no matter how harsh, are not the whole of things.
- Jay McDaniel
Open and relational theologians speak of God as a living presence who seeks the flourishing of life. Some people, perhaps many people, find this flourishing, among other places, in moments of laughter. In the laughter itself we experience a moment of playfulness, of joy. And we gain, in the moment, perspective. We see that life is much wider than we'd imagined, and that our burdens, no matter how harsh, are not the whole of things.
- Jay McDaniel
Play, Grace, and Laughter
In Whitehead's philosophy, the value of life is not imposed from the outside, as a coat of paint might be applied to an otherwise colorless billiard ball. Rather, value arises from within, through the process of living itself. In living, we seek satisfaction and can experience richness of experience in our relations with the world, ourselves, and the heavens. This richness—or, as Andrew Davis calls it, 'aesthetic achievement'—is the value of life. It is what the living whole of the universe, God, seeks for the universe, and it is what creatures seek for themselves.
In human life, there are many forms of richness of experience, many but not all of them moral: compassion, justice, respect for others, and love. Yet there are other forms of richness that, while not strictly moral, are no less significant—qualities such as playfulness, wonder, joyfulness, and humor. These forms of experience, too, contribute to life’s depth and beauty, and they reveal aspects of existence that are relational, creative, and dynamic. My aim in this essay is to explore how Whitehead's metaphysics provides, as it were, an ontology of humor—a way of understanding humor as a vital and meaningful dimension of human experience.
The Enjoyment of a Joke
A noteworthy aspect of Process and Reality is that Whitehead explicitly addresses the experience of enjoying a joke. He writes,
"For example, some propositions are the data of feelings with subjective forms such as to constitute those feelings to be the enjoyment of a joke."
In this sentence, Whitehead highlights that the propositions communicated through a joke are not primarily concerned with conveying truth in the conventional sense. Instead, they are designed to evoke a particular emotional response—the feeling of amusement or funniness. This observation underscores the idea that propositions, within Whitehead’s metaphysical framework, function as lures for feeling—suggestive possibilities that shape experience in ways that transcend the pursuit of factual accuracy.
Humor, then, becomes an example of how propositions can function aesthetically and emotionally, enriching life by creating moments of playful enjoyment and novelty rather than merely serving as tools for logical reasoning or empirical validation.
Humor and Whitehead's Categories of Existence
Indeed, Whitehead’s entire philosophy, as articulated in Process and Reality, offers a profound way of thinking about humor and its role in human life. By situating humor within his eight categories of existence, Whitehead provides conceptual tools for exploring humor as a relational, dynamic, and creative process:
Actual entities – The fundamental units of reality and moments of experience. Humor unfolds within these events of becoming, synthesizing past influences and present relationships into creative acts that produce laughter.
Eternal objects – Pure potentialities or abstract patterns, such as irony, exaggeration, and absurdity, that humor actualizes in concrete form. They provide the conceptual resources that make humor possible.
Prehensions – The felt connections between elements in experience. Humor depends on these relational acts of feeling and integrating diverse elements into a coherent whole, creating the sudden recognition or surprise that provokes laughter.
Subjective forms – The emotional tones that color prehensions. In humor, these include feelings of delight, surprise, and absurdity, highlighting how humor operates on a felt level rather than purely intellectual grounds.
Propositions – Lures for feeling that invite imaginative engagement with possibilities. In humor, propositions create expectations that are often subverted in the punchline, leading to unexpected insights and emotional release.
Contrasts – The juxtapositions of differences that humor relies on to generate novelty. Jokes often depend on contrasts between serious and absurd or logical and illogical, forming patterns of harmony or disruption that provoke laughter.
Nexus – Public matters of fact or groupings of entities that create shared contexts for humor. Humor depends on this communal background—cultural norms, language, and expectations—to resonate socially and relationally.
Multiplicities – Disjunctions or pluralities that humor embraces, weaving disparate elements into patterns of connection without erasing their differences. Humor thrives on incongruities and unexpected relationships, turning them into sources of novelty.
Taken together, these categories reveal humor as a microcosm of process philosophy—a dynamic act of integration, contrast, and novelty that mirrors the relational and evolving nature of reality. Humor exemplifies Whitehead’s creative advance into novelty, showing how the world, like a good joke, is full of surprises and contrasts that invite us to respond emotionally and imaginatively. Far from being trivial, humor reflects the processive rhythms of existence, offering insight, joy, and relational connection as vital dimensions of life’s ongoing unfolding.
God and Humor
Of course, so far, I have said little about humor and theology, except to note that God, as the living whole of the universe, seeks richness of experience for creatures in the world, one form of which is humor. But here it might be added that humor also enriches the very life of God.
In Whitehead’s theology, God is not a distant or impassive deity but a relational and responsive presence—one who feels with the world and incorporates its joys, sorrows, and creative expressions into the divine life. The manyness of the universe—its diversity, contrasts, and unexpected juxtapositions—is part of God’s own ongoing experience. Humor, as an expression of this manyness, when offered in a spirit of love, enriches the life of God.
Moreover, humor can, in some circumstances, serve as a bridge to shared humanity, helping people overcome their divisions. By revealing the common absurdities and ironies of human life, humor has the capacity to soften boundaries, dissolve tensions, and create moments of connection where differences are acknowledged yet transcended. In this sense, humor embodies a theological virtue—a mode of relationality that fosters understanding, compassion, and community.
Thus, humor’s theological significance lies not only in its capacity to enrich creaturely life but also in its ability to enrich divine life and to facilitate human reconciliation. It becomes, in Whitehead’s metaphysical vision, a creative force that reflects the beauty of contrasts and the possibilities for harmony amid difference.
Humor and Creativity
Humor and creativity are deeply intertwined in process theology, both rooted in an openness to novelty and transformation. Humor reflects a creative response to the world, often arising in moments when conventional expectations are subverted, and new possibilities emerge. Like creativity, humor requires a willingness to step outside rigid structures, embrace ambiguity, and see the world from fresh perspectives. It thrives in spaces of improvisation, where the unexpected can be welcomed and transformed into meaningful experience.
In process thought, creativity is central to the nature of reality itself, with God continually luring the world toward new forms of beauty and richness of experience. Humor, as a form of creative engagement, mirrors this divine impulse toward novelty. It invites us to relinquish predictability and control, to play with contrasts and tensions, and to imagine alternative ways of being. Through humor, we participate in the ongoing creative advance into novelty, reflecting the divine call to embrace life’s possibilities with openness and delight.
Humor and a Mysticism of Play
Humor also invites us into what might be called a mysticism of play—a form of letting go into a mystery of multiplicity in which God is present. In this mysticism, the playful, dynamic, and improvisational qualities of humor mirror the fluidity and openness of the divine life itself. It is a mysticism that does not demand resolution or finality but instead delights in ambiguity, contrast, and surprise. By participating in humor, we practice a kind of spiritual release—a willingness to embrace the uncertainties and contradictions of life with a sense of wonder and delight. This form of mysticism aligns with Whitehead’s vision of a universe that is ever-evolving, relational, and open to novelty. Humor thus becomes not only an aesthetic and emotional experience but also a spiritual opportunity, inviting us to celebrate the divine mystery woven into the fabric of existence.
Humor and Grace
Finally, humor can also be understood as a gift of grace, not unlike the way that Whitehead understands Peace in Adventures of Idea. Humor, like Peace, is not something that can be practiced in a willful or calculated manner but instead arises spontaneously when we relinquish control and open ourselves to the unexpected and the wideness of things. Humor, like grace, breaks into our lives unbidden, offering moments of relief, renewal, and connection. It reminds us that life is not entirely subject to our plans or predictions and that joy often emerges precisely when we let go of rigid expectations. In this sense, humor is a form of grace that invites us to trust the creative advance of the universe, to remain open to surprise, and to encounter beauty even in the most unexpected places.
In human life, there are many forms of richness of experience, many but not all of them moral: compassion, justice, respect for others, and love. Yet there are other forms of richness that, while not strictly moral, are no less significant—qualities such as playfulness, wonder, joyfulness, and humor. These forms of experience, too, contribute to life’s depth and beauty, and they reveal aspects of existence that are relational, creative, and dynamic. My aim in this essay is to explore how Whitehead's metaphysics provides, as it were, an ontology of humor—a way of understanding humor as a vital and meaningful dimension of human experience.
The Enjoyment of a Joke
A noteworthy aspect of Process and Reality is that Whitehead explicitly addresses the experience of enjoying a joke. He writes,
"For example, some propositions are the data of feelings with subjective forms such as to constitute those feelings to be the enjoyment of a joke."
In this sentence, Whitehead highlights that the propositions communicated through a joke are not primarily concerned with conveying truth in the conventional sense. Instead, they are designed to evoke a particular emotional response—the feeling of amusement or funniness. This observation underscores the idea that propositions, within Whitehead’s metaphysical framework, function as lures for feeling—suggestive possibilities that shape experience in ways that transcend the pursuit of factual accuracy.
Humor, then, becomes an example of how propositions can function aesthetically and emotionally, enriching life by creating moments of playful enjoyment and novelty rather than merely serving as tools for logical reasoning or empirical validation.
Humor and Whitehead's Categories of Existence
Indeed, Whitehead’s entire philosophy, as articulated in Process and Reality, offers a profound way of thinking about humor and its role in human life. By situating humor within his eight categories of existence, Whitehead provides conceptual tools for exploring humor as a relational, dynamic, and creative process:
Actual entities – The fundamental units of reality and moments of experience. Humor unfolds within these events of becoming, synthesizing past influences and present relationships into creative acts that produce laughter.
Eternal objects – Pure potentialities or abstract patterns, such as irony, exaggeration, and absurdity, that humor actualizes in concrete form. They provide the conceptual resources that make humor possible.
Prehensions – The felt connections between elements in experience. Humor depends on these relational acts of feeling and integrating diverse elements into a coherent whole, creating the sudden recognition or surprise that provokes laughter.
Subjective forms – The emotional tones that color prehensions. In humor, these include feelings of delight, surprise, and absurdity, highlighting how humor operates on a felt level rather than purely intellectual grounds.
Propositions – Lures for feeling that invite imaginative engagement with possibilities. In humor, propositions create expectations that are often subverted in the punchline, leading to unexpected insights and emotional release.
Contrasts – The juxtapositions of differences that humor relies on to generate novelty. Jokes often depend on contrasts between serious and absurd or logical and illogical, forming patterns of harmony or disruption that provoke laughter.
Nexus – Public matters of fact or groupings of entities that create shared contexts for humor. Humor depends on this communal background—cultural norms, language, and expectations—to resonate socially and relationally.
Multiplicities – Disjunctions or pluralities that humor embraces, weaving disparate elements into patterns of connection without erasing their differences. Humor thrives on incongruities and unexpected relationships, turning them into sources of novelty.
Taken together, these categories reveal humor as a microcosm of process philosophy—a dynamic act of integration, contrast, and novelty that mirrors the relational and evolving nature of reality. Humor exemplifies Whitehead’s creative advance into novelty, showing how the world, like a good joke, is full of surprises and contrasts that invite us to respond emotionally and imaginatively. Far from being trivial, humor reflects the processive rhythms of existence, offering insight, joy, and relational connection as vital dimensions of life’s ongoing unfolding.
God and Humor
Of course, so far, I have said little about humor and theology, except to note that God, as the living whole of the universe, seeks richness of experience for creatures in the world, one form of which is humor. But here it might be added that humor also enriches the very life of God.
In Whitehead’s theology, God is not a distant or impassive deity but a relational and responsive presence—one who feels with the world and incorporates its joys, sorrows, and creative expressions into the divine life. The manyness of the universe—its diversity, contrasts, and unexpected juxtapositions—is part of God’s own ongoing experience. Humor, as an expression of this manyness, when offered in a spirit of love, enriches the life of God.
Moreover, humor can, in some circumstances, serve as a bridge to shared humanity, helping people overcome their divisions. By revealing the common absurdities and ironies of human life, humor has the capacity to soften boundaries, dissolve tensions, and create moments of connection where differences are acknowledged yet transcended. In this sense, humor embodies a theological virtue—a mode of relationality that fosters understanding, compassion, and community.
Thus, humor’s theological significance lies not only in its capacity to enrich creaturely life but also in its ability to enrich divine life and to facilitate human reconciliation. It becomes, in Whitehead’s metaphysical vision, a creative force that reflects the beauty of contrasts and the possibilities for harmony amid difference.
Humor and Creativity
Humor and creativity are deeply intertwined in process theology, both rooted in an openness to novelty and transformation. Humor reflects a creative response to the world, often arising in moments when conventional expectations are subverted, and new possibilities emerge. Like creativity, humor requires a willingness to step outside rigid structures, embrace ambiguity, and see the world from fresh perspectives. It thrives in spaces of improvisation, where the unexpected can be welcomed and transformed into meaningful experience.
In process thought, creativity is central to the nature of reality itself, with God continually luring the world toward new forms of beauty and richness of experience. Humor, as a form of creative engagement, mirrors this divine impulse toward novelty. It invites us to relinquish predictability and control, to play with contrasts and tensions, and to imagine alternative ways of being. Through humor, we participate in the ongoing creative advance into novelty, reflecting the divine call to embrace life’s possibilities with openness and delight.
Humor and a Mysticism of Play
Humor also invites us into what might be called a mysticism of play—a form of letting go into a mystery of multiplicity in which God is present. In this mysticism, the playful, dynamic, and improvisational qualities of humor mirror the fluidity and openness of the divine life itself. It is a mysticism that does not demand resolution or finality but instead delights in ambiguity, contrast, and surprise. By participating in humor, we practice a kind of spiritual release—a willingness to embrace the uncertainties and contradictions of life with a sense of wonder and delight. This form of mysticism aligns with Whitehead’s vision of a universe that is ever-evolving, relational, and open to novelty. Humor thus becomes not only an aesthetic and emotional experience but also a spiritual opportunity, inviting us to celebrate the divine mystery woven into the fabric of existence.
Humor and Grace
Finally, humor can also be understood as a gift of grace, not unlike the way that Whitehead understands Peace in Adventures of Idea. Humor, like Peace, is not something that can be practiced in a willful or calculated manner but instead arises spontaneously when we relinquish control and open ourselves to the unexpected and the wideness of things. Humor, like grace, breaks into our lives unbidden, offering moments of relief, renewal, and connection. It reminds us that life is not entirely subject to our plans or predictions and that joy often emerges precisely when we let go of rigid expectations. In this sense, humor is a form of grace that invites us to trust the creative advance of the universe, to remain open to surprise, and to encounter beauty even in the most unexpected places.