- StudyStudy
The University of Akureyri offers a comprehensive range of quality programmes in multiple fields of study
- StudentStudent
The University of Akureyri places an emphasis on personal services and offers lively and varied social activities
- Research
- About UNAKAbout UNAK
The University of Akureyri was founded in 1987 and has quickly and steadily grown since that time
11. February 2025
Can Cruelty Be Humorous?
Volume 3. and 4. of Humour and Cruelty published
Volumes 3 and 4 of the book series Humour and Cruelty: A Philosophical Exploration of the Humanities and Social Sciences have now been released. The series is authored by Giorgio Baruchello, professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Akureyri, and Ársæll Már Arnarsson, professor at the School of Education at the University of Iceland.
Short presentations of the books, read by Maestro M.J. Clarke and illustrated by Dr. Andy Hill, can be found here.
The first part of Laughing Matters explores how the concepts of humor and cruelty are interconnected, examines key thinkers who have shaped the discussion, and highlights major theories from the humanities and social sciences. Special attention is given to how psychology, existentialism, feminism, liberalism, and Marxism have influenced these concepts. This foundation helps to understand the conflicts between humor and cruelty, which are the central focus of the second part of the book.
The second part of Laughing Matters delves into how humor and cruelty clash—how cruelty can be used against humor and, conversely, how humor can be used as a weapon against cruelty. The book explores opposition to joy and humor in various social and historical contexts, from medieval monasteries to the 2015 attack on the Charlie Hebdo editorial office. Particular emphasis is placed on how humor can be cruel and how cruelty can be humorous—and what these phenomena reveal about modern society.
The first two volumes received excellent reviews in international academic journals, as the series offers an in-depth and timely analysis of the darker sides of humor from both ethical and psychological perspectives. The series is published by De Gruyter, one of the oldest and most respected academic publishers in its field, which has been publishing scholarly books for 274 years since its founding in Berlin in 1749.