"Laughter: An Essay on the Meaning of the Comic" by Henri Bergson is a collection of three essays first published in 1900. This groundbreaking philosophical work explores why humans laugh and what makes things funny. Bergson examines laughter as a distinctly human and social phenomenon, arguing that comedy arises from rigidity interrupting life's natural flexibility. He investigates how laughter serves as a moral corrective, forcing people to recognize their vices and conform to social norms. Through analyzing comic situations, movements, and characters, Bergson develops a scientific method for understanding the laws governing humor. (This is an automatically generated summary.)