Nietzsche, Freud, Laughter: A Study on Laughter from a Depth-psychological Perspective

Abstract

This paper aims to examine Nietzsche's and Freud's theory of laughter from a depth-psychological perspective. The essential relationship between Nietzsche and psychoanalysis is that Nietzsche sees himself as a ‘doctor’ who heals a life suffering from the division of consciousness and unconsciousness. Therefore, this study focuses on Freud and Nietzsche that laughter plays the role of a doctor for humans who are sick due to the suppression of civilization to regain themselves and make them healthy. This paper first analyzes Nietzsche's and Freud's theory of laughter from the point of view of the liberation of the unconscious. To this end, we examine Nietzsche's and Freud's theory of laughter, focusing on the relationship between Nietzsche's and Freud's view of language with consciousness, and wit, a style of expression that embodies free spirit and the liberation of unconscious. Logicalizing and organizing reality is necessary for human life. However, it comes as a burden to us to standardize reality according to the law always. Sometimes logic and reason must be turned off, and if that is not possible, humans must at least rest from the concepts that suppress the life of emotions and impulses. For Nietzsche and Freud, laughter serves as a healing for humans to restore their original dynamic and spontaneous self.