Jan Miernowski Libros

Exploring the concept of joyless laughter, this provocative study examines its evolution from ancient times to the age of artificial intelligence. It delves into the unsettling intersections between humanity and inhumanity, highlighting how laughter can reflect deeper societal issues and emotional complexities. Through a historical lens, the book challenges readers to reconsider the significance of humor in our lives, particularly in contexts where it may serve as a mask for discomfort or alienation.

This book employs perspectives from continental philosophy, intellectual history, and literary and cultural studies to breach the divide between early modernist and modernist thinkers. It turns to early modern humanism in order to challenge late 20th-century thought and present-day posthumanism. This book addresses contemporary concerns such as the moral responsibility of the artist, the place of religious beliefs in our secular societies, legal rights extended to nonhuman species, the sense of ‘normality’ applied to the human body, the politics of migration, individual political freedom and international terrorism. It demonstrates how early modern humanism can bring new perspectives to postmodern antihumanism and even invite us to envision a humanism of the future.