Sem. Carl Joshua DC.

Miguel Reflection
Comparative Philosophy March 30, 2022

CHAPTER II: SIDDHARTA, SOCRATES AND ZHUANG ZI: Laughter Across Ancient
Civilizations

Where does laughter bring me? Does it bring happiness and satisfaction? Does it make me
feel sick when there is too much laughing? Does it carry me to achieve the greatest happiness in
life? Laughter often makes me feel relaxed; on the other hand, it makes me feel uncomfortable
because, as I observe, my heartbeat is so fast. When I was a child, my parent and my relatives
told me that whenever they did something, though it was not that funny, I would laugh. I often
laughed, not knowing the reason behind why I ‘laughed.’ But, when I grow old, most commonly,
I laugh because there is something or someone that makes me laugh, and besides, there are
reasons why I laugh. But, the essential perspective is that I laugh for the reason that others cause
me to laugh. I laugh because there is something funny (like the funny moments and events in my
life) and someone hilarious (like the humoristic people in the community. In this reflection, I
may also ask why I should reflect on laughter? Is it just because it is our topic? Or Is it because
laughter is part of our life. Of course, I can say both. This topic, Laughter Across Ancient
Civilizations, seemingly gives me an idea of asking myself, do philosophers also laugh? Because
if I may analyze some or most of the philosophers, especially Greek philosophers, I have
encountered, their life seems to focus on academic life, the way they argue and have discourse
with their fellow philosophers. Honestly, this is my first time encountering Socrates have this
kind of experience with his fellow student/s he admired. Laughter will always be part of our lives
and our existence as human beings. However, it is not required to take life as seriously as always.
I have to laugh for the very reason of learning and enjoying the life I have along the life journey.

SOCRATES: LAUGHTER IN EROTIC INNUENDOS

Socrates is so well known as one of the Great Greek
thinkers of the Ancient period. He was known as the teacher of
Plato, who taught various concepts, adapted and improved by his
students and successor. In fact, he did not write any letters, but
maybe Plato was very much diligent in taking down notes of what
Socrates was teaching. By the way, Socrates: Laughter in Erotic
Innuendos is my first time to encounter in the entire study of his philosophical journey. I was
amazed that Socrates had this kind of personality of being careful, fearful, and prudent. He was
able to handle the unexpected circumstance that happened between him (Socrates) and
Alcibiades. Socrates, after his speech on the origin of love as the theme of the dialogue, the
people applauded. However, they heard someone shouting like a thundering voice coming from
somewhere. It was Alcibiades, a handsome and wealthy young man whom Socrates admired.
Alcibiades was drunk and so continuously speaking. Alcibiades became so vicious until such a
time that he committed evil actions as being intoxicated. In line with this, Socrates is asking
Agathon to protect him from Alcibiades, as Alcibiades has already started pointing to Socrates.
Further, perhaps, Alcibiades is just telling the truth; he reveals the ambivalent idea of love. It
seemed now that Alcibiades admired Socrates or vice
versa. I am not sure but perhaps. In the end, Socrates
had this kind of ability to sympathize with the drunk
man, Alcibiades. The good thing about Socrates is that
he knows where and when he stands. He became
prudent of his actions towards the other.
To conclude, Socrates: Laughter in Erotic Innuendos shows that laughter becomes more
meaningful when associating oneself with the one who makes one laugh. Laughter must not be
tangled with the phenomena of reality. Some people are so concerned about what other people
are saying to them. Here, the laughter is different when one joins the drinking session.
Nevertheless, a burst of natural laughter happens in the ordinary conversations of a group of
people. Socrates: Laughter in Erotic Innuendos deals more with ROMANTIC, dealing with
insinuation, intimacy, or hints. When I say romantic here, it means having, touching hands,
rubbing the head, etc. This is not a romance that most of the people know about.

ZHUANG ZI: A PRACTICO-CYNICAL LAUGHTER

Zhuang Zi is a Chinese Daoist philosopher who lived around the 4 th century during the
Warring States period. The words struck me along with the discussion of Zhuang Zi’s laughter,
and I quote, ‘the difficult part is to find humor in the philosophy.’ Honestly, at first glance, it
seems that it is challenging to find humor in philosophy, especially when one person is at the
beginning of studying it. This may be true to others, but for me, humor in the strict sense can find
in philosophy—for instance, the humor of studying it, enjoying and learning from it. If one
enjoys the study of philosophy, there may arise a sense of humor. Zhuang Zi: A Practico-Cynical
Laughter shows that laughter is cultured based. Every place around the world has various kinds
of laughter in their own respective places. Laughter would always be part of one’s culture;
however, they have their perspective, culture, and the idea about laughter.
Further, in one of Zhuang Zi’s realizations, he
mentioned that ‘death as an example of an eternal
process which human understands in a suspended
moment, so man can weep at birth as much as he can
laugh at death. However, Zhuang Zi perceives them as
one thread in an eternal process.’ In line with this, there
is always a happy moment in life. Life is like a constant
flux (as mentioned by Heraclitus in the Ancient
period). Moreover, for Zhuang Zi, we must learn to
accept things that we do not understand. We cannot
always escape because if we do this, we reject the natural way of nature.
The laughter shows Zhuangzi's confidence – which comes from having things under control.
This means that we have to control and balance everything, but often we are under control; thus,
we must accept that there will always be happiness and sadness. We must overcome the
problems in life.
To conclude, Zhuang Zi: A Practico-Cynical Laughter shows that the truth is that
whatever happens, either happy or painful moment, we have to accept it, and that is the practical
way of life. It also means that the practical thing to do in a cynical manner is to accept it (for
instance, accept death). As I turn it to me, I have to accept it because it is a natural course of
things. Although I may be happy for some time, and I may also be sad often, what I can do is
accept it and overcome it. As a philosophy student, I find humor in studying philosophy, and
aside from finding humor in philosophy, it also widens my knowledge regarding the word
“acceptance”.
 SIDDHARTA, A SPIRITUAL-INTUITIVE HUMOR
Siddharta Gautama Buddha was an
ascetic, a religious teacher in an ancient era in
India, and a religious leader in the 5th and 6th
centuries BCE. Buddha is well known for his
lotus position and deep meditation. If I may
look at the statue of Buddha, surely I will laugh,
especially if it is the statue of a laughing
Buddha. How much more if I rub the tummy of
Buddha. I may laugh at the physical statue of
Buddha, but I am amazed by the deep meditation of Buddha. Imagine how Buddha would often
go and sit like a lotus under the Bodhi Tree in order for him to meditate. For Buddha, kasyapa is
one of the most intellectual humor dwellings in the realm of silence. It means that, for Buddha,
not speaking is something humoristic, simply being silent. In Buddhism, it is very important to
use the sense of feeling oneself. Further, Kai Wei is a form of meditation technique done with an
accompanying technique called Gong an. Gong an refers to a game in which communication is
non-verbal. So, it may come up to laughter wherein one who engages in this would act and make
signs that will make someone laugh, especially those who do not understand the use of Gong an.
To conclude, Siddharta, A Spiritual-Intuitive Humor shows that one may consider it
humoristic in deep meditation and silence. Buddha reminded us that a smile brings joy to one’s
heart, and a feeling of peace is the most incredible laughter that man can ever enjoy. Suppose I
adopt the approach of Buddha regarding Spiritual-Intuitive Humor. In that case, I may consider
that my meditation and silence are already a kind of humor whenever I give time to keep silent
and meditate.
In a nutshell, we all begin to laugh when someone causes us to laugh. There are many
reasons why we laugh. The reasons behind this are the approaches provided by Socrates in his
Laughter in Erotic Innuendos, Zhuang Zi in his Practico-Cynical Laughter, Siddharta in his
Spiritual-Intuitive Humor. The very core of laughter is humor. People may define laughter from
various perspectives, in philosophy, in one’s culture, religion, etc. As I see along the journey of
allowing myself to go into the deep of understanding and realize what laughter represents
through Siddharta, Socrates, and Zhuang Zi, laughter has its meaning, essence, and purpose.
Why are human beings laughing? I believe that laughter has its spirit of humoristic power that
enters into a person's mind, heart, and body that causes him/her to laugh. Laughter has this kind
of internality that flows and has an external manifestation. Laughter will always be there, but the
best way to appreciate laughter is to give meaning and live it with purpose. I must not just laugh
for the sake of laughing, but I must laugh for the sake of learning, realizing, and enjoying along
the journey of achieving the telos, the happiness.

Reference/s

Co, Alfredo. Across the Ancient Philosophical World. (Manila, Philippines: UST Publishing
House, 2015.
Analyzation, Reflection & Self Realization