This thesis explores the hypothesis that humor arises from the combination of abstract thought, memory, and self-aware consciousness. It argues that humor involves sophisticated cognitive skills and can promote new ways of thinking about complex concepts. As computer memory and digital information continue to grow rapidly, there may be greater potential to discover unexpected connections between disparate pieces of information, leading to new understandings and avenues for humor. The document also briefly outlines existing philosophical approaches to humor as involving incongruity, superiority, relief, or play.

1. THESIS ONE
Humor & Humanity
Abstraction, Memory, and Consciousness
Michael Silber | Professor Tom Klinkowstein

2. “At the moment it’s just a Notion,
but with a bit of backing I think
I could turn it into Concept,
and then an Idea.”
–Woody Allen
Michael Silber | Directed Research | Professor Tom Klinkowstein

3. This thesis presents the hypothesis that humor arises
from the synthesis of abstracted thought, memory,
and self-reflexive consciousness, representing a form
of active creative intelligence with transformative
problem-solving potential.
Contrary to existing understanding, humor should not be
viewed as trivial and silly, as it involves a sophisticated
combination of cognitive skills, which can promote
unexpected analogies and metaphorical thinking to
explain otherwise baffling concepts.
Such a hypothesis suggests that the rapid advancement
of computer memory and the expansive growth of
digital information presents the possibility for increased
explorations into the connectivity of seemingly dissimilar,
incongruous information in pursuit of both new
understanding and new avenues for humor.
Michael Silber | Directed Research | Professor Tom Klinkowstein

4. Abstracted Thought allows us to
pursue understanding in the absence
of explicit information.
Memory enables us to store and
organize personal experiences and
learned knowledge.
Self-Reflexive Consciousness is
the uniquely human trait that
helps us define ourselves and our
mortality within the context of our
environment and our society.
Michael Silber | Directed Research | Professor Tom Klinkowstein

5. “Confidence is what you
have before you understand
the problem.”
–Woody Allen
Michael Silber | Directed Research | Professor Tom Klinkowstein

6. The Philosophy of Humor
1. Incongruity [leading approach- Kant, Kierkegaard, [Aristotle]
Ambiguity, logical impossibility, irrelevance,
and inappropriateness.
2. Superiority [Thomas Hobbes, Plato, Aristotle]
Aggressive supremacy.
3. Relief [Freud, Herbert Spencer]
Release or save energy generated by repression.
4. Play
An extension of “animal play” behavior.
Michael Silber | Directed Research | Professor Tom Klinkowstein

7. “I’ve never been an
intellectual, but I have
this look.”
–Woody Allen
Michael Silber | Directed Research | Professor Tom Klinkowstein