TY - JOUR A1 - Hietalahti, Jarno T1 - Humor and Disobedience: Understanding Controversial Humor JF - Filosofiska Notiser, Årgång 3, Nr. 3, Oktober 2016, pp. 23-44. N2 - In this article, I analyze controversial humor and argue that the concept of disobedience is of central importance when evaluating, for instance, harsh or potentially hurtful jokes. Following social critic Erich Fromm (1900– 1980) I claim that disobedience is a dialectic concept: that is, it includes the possibilities both to affirm and to reject. This observation connects humor to other values, and pivotal is how humor is related to the question of what it means to be a human being. Through this insight, I argue that controversial humor may shock and be offensive, or it can be amusing and even have a cathartic effect. In the end, in evaluating humor it is necessary to analyze the values behind humor, that is, what humor obeys and what it disobeys. Y1 - 2016 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hietalahti, Jarno T1 - Erich Fromm and Critical Humor Research JF - Fromm Forum (English Edition – ISSN 1437-1189), 20 / 2016, Tuebingen (Selbstverlag), pp. 41-49. T3 - Fromm Forum (English edition / englische Ausgabe) - e19/2016d Y1 - 2016 VL - e19/2016d ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hietalahti, Jarno T1 - Social Character (Fromm) JF - V. Zeigler-Hill, T.K. Shackelford (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences, New York (Springer International Publishing), 2017, 4 pp. Y1 - 2017 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hietalahti, Jarno T1 - Socially Critical Humor: Discussing Humor with Erich Fromm and Theodor W. Adorno JF - Idéias, Campinas, SP, Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 87-108. N2 - This article brings Erich Fromm and Theodor W. Adorno back into dialogue by discussing the cultural phenomena of humor and laughter based on their theoretical writings. I argue that what is typically considered socially critical humor, like offensive jokes or harsh satire, often fails to meet the preconditions of criticism in the light of Adorno’s and Fromm’s thinking. Humor, to be socially critical, has to be life-affirmative and non-positional, and it has to challenge the limits of humor. It is also claimed that in this scope, humor cannot be instrumental. Y1 - 2017 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hietalahti, Jarno A1 - et al., T1 - Insults, humour and freedom of speech JF - French Cultural Studies 2016, Vol. 27, pp. 245-255. N2 - In this article we argue that freedom of speech should be understood as a social freedom. In the public discussion after the Charlie Hebdo attacks, it has often been understood as an absolute right to say anything – to offend, to make a fool of others and of oneself, and to express any opinion regardless of the consequences. We challenge this view and propose that advocating freedom of speech without understanding its social foundations is misleading and counterproductive. Based on the critical social theories of Erich Fromm, Charles Taylor and Axel Honneth, we show that there is an alternative tradition in which freedom is fundamentally rooted in social relations and therefore requires respect for others. We argue that interpreting freedom of speech as a social freedom avoids some of the problems apparent in current discussions. In addition, our position has significant practical consequences on how humour and insults should be understood. Y1 - 2016 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hietalahti, Jarno T1 - The Necrophilic Laughter: Humor as a Social Pathology JF - Fromm Forum (English Edition – ISSN 1437-1189), 22 / 2018, Tuebingen (Selbstverlag), pp. 038-049. N2 - In this article, I claim that humor can be a form of social pathology. In opposition to the general humor-affirmative atmosphere, I develop the critical tradition of humor research, and suggest that there is a darker side to fun and laughter. Using insights from Henri Bergson’s theory about laughter and Erich Fromm’s critical social thinking, I formulate a novel theoretical combination which opens up fruitful perspectives on contemporary humor and its social nature. This empirically motivated conceptual position helps us to understand the role and function of humor and laughter. My conclusion is that parts of the contemporary humor catalogue reflect collective destructive and even death-orientated tendencies. The main argument is that if humor is not in line with humanistic values and is not based on a life-orientated worldview, it is in danger of becoming pathological. T3 - Fromm Forum (English edition / englische Ausgabe) - e22/2018c Y1 - 2018 VL - e22/2018c ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hietalahti, Jarno T1 - Huumorin kahlittu vapaus JF - Teoksessa S. Knuuttila, P. Hakamies and E. Lampela (Eds.), Kalevalaseuran 94, SKS 2015, pp. 19-35; reprint in J. Hietalahti, The Dynamic Concept of Humor. Erich Fromm and the Possibility of Humane Humor, Jyväskylä (University of Jyväskylä) 2016. Y1 - 2015 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hietalahti, Jarno T1 - Kilpailuni Läpäisemä Huumori JF - Teoksessa S. Knuuttila, P. Hakamies and E. Lampela (Eds.), Kalevalaseuran 94, SKS 2015, pp. 379-392; reprint in J. Hietalahti, The Dynamic Concept of Humor. Erich Fromm and the Possibility of Humane Humor, Jyväskylä (University of Jyväskylä) 2016. Y1 - 2015 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Hietalahti, Jarno T1 - The Dynamic Concept of Humor. Erich Fromm and the Possibility of Humane Humor, Jyväskylä (University of Jyväskylä) 2016. Y1 - 2016 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hietalahti, Jarno T1 - The Relevance of >social character< to Humor Studies JF - J. Hietalahti, The Dynamic Concept of Humor. Erich Fromm and the Possibility of Humane Humor, Jyväskylä (University of Jyväskylä) 2016, 19 pp. Y1 - 2016 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hietalahti, Jarno T1 - Laughing at Oneself: On the New Social Character JF - Studies in Social and Political Thought, Vol. 2 (Summer 2015), pp. 116-131; reprint in J. Hietalahti, The Dynamic Concept of Humor. Erich Fromm and the Possibility of Humane Humor, Jyväskylä (University of Jyväskylä) 2016. Y1 - 2015 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hietalahti, Jarno T1 - Review R. Funk, Life Itself Is an Art, New York 2019 JF - Marx & Philosophy. Online-Review of Books, Canterbury, February 1, 2020. Y1 - 2020 ER - TY - BOOK A1 - Hietalahti, Jarno A1 - Pekkola, Mika T1 - Terapiaa Mielipuoliselle Maailmalle. Erich Fromm Ja Radikaalihumanismin Lupaus, Tampere (Vastpaino) 2019, 256 pp. Y1 - 2019 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hietalahti, Jarno T1 - Review Durkin, K., and Braune, J. (Eds.): Erich Fromm’s Critical Theory: Hope, Humanism, and the Future: Erich Fromm's Hopeful Humanism JF - Radical Philosophy Review, Vol. 24, No. 1 (2021), pp. 101-104. [Online ISSN 1569-1659] [doi.org/10.5840/radphilrev20212416] Y1 - 2021 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hietalahti, Jarno T1 - Huumorin dynaaminen käsite. Erich Fromm ja humaanin huumorin mahdollisuus JF - Ajatus: Suomen filosofisen yhdistyksen vuosikirja, Vol. 73 (2016), pp. 281-287. [Print ISSN 0355-1725] [journal.fi/ajatus/article/view/67646/27979] N2 - Arvoisa kustos, kunnioitettu vastaväittäjä, hyvät kuulijat. Huumori on hauska juttu. Jokainen tunnistaa maailmassa moninaisia huvittavia sattumuksia ilman minkäänlaista ongelmaa. Mutta kun filosofi yrittää tavoittaa huumorin ytimen, se karkaa aina hyppysistä. Joka kerta kun joku kuvittelee määritelleensä huumorin kattavasti, muuttaa hupi muotoaan ja nauraa vanhoille määritelmille. Tämä huumorin jatkuva läsnäolo ja ikuinen saavuttamattomuus muodostavat kihelmöivän ristiriidan, joka houkuttelee tutkijaa hakkaamaan päätään seinään aina uudestaan ja uudestaan. Y1 - 2016 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hietalahti, Jarno A1 - Toivanen, Juhana T1 - Elävät kuolleet: Aristoteles, Hobbes ja Fromm modernin zombikuvaston valossa JF - Ajatus: Suomen filosofisen yhdistyksen vuosikirja, Vol. 76 (2019), pp. 229-265. [Print ISSN 0355-1725] [journal.fi/ajatus/article/view/88151/47393] N2 - Zombeja käsittelevät televisiosarjat ja sarjakuvat ovat viime vuosina saavuttaneet suurta suosiota. Esimerkiksi >The Walking Dead<-sarjan ensimmäinen jakso näytettiin samanaikaisesti 120 maassa, ja sarjaa on sittemmin katsonut tuotantokaudesta riippuen 5–15 miljoonaa katsojaa. Post-apokalyptinen maailma kiehtoo suurta yleisöä, koska dystooppiset tarinat peilaavat erilaisia käsityksiä ihmisten perusolemuksesta ja yhteiskunnan perustasta; sarjaa voi pitää filosofisena ajatuskokeena, jolla testataan, miten erilaiset näkemykset toimisivat luonnontilaan paluun jälkeen. Artikkelimme lähtökohta on, että zombikuvasto tarjoaa hedelmällisen tilaisuuden filosofisastelemme yhteiskunnan romahtamisen jälkeistä tilaa yhteiskuntafilosofian klassikoiden, Aristoteleen ja Thomas Hobbesin avulla. Pyrimme osoittamaan, että Hobbesin luonnontilan käsitteen rinnalla Aristoteleen eettiset ja yhteiskuntafilosofiset näkemykset tarjoavat hyödyllisen näkökulman sivilisaation romahduksen jälkeisen kuvitteellisen tilanteen ymmärtämiseen. Täydennämme analyysia sosiaalipsykologi Erich Frommin yhteiskuntaluonteen käsitteellä ja osoitamme, että dystopiaan sisältyy lupaus utopiasta, paremmasta maailmasta. Yleisesti ottaen esitämme, että populaarikulttuurin ja filosofian yhdistäminen tarjoaa oivaltavan näkökulman nykyisen länsimaisen ihmiskuvan peruselementtien ymmärtämiseen. Y1 - 2019 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hietalahti, Jarno T1 - Humanism contested: Four Frommian responses to feminist critique, antihumanism, posthumanism, and transhumanism - https://doi.org/10.1037/hum0000399 JF - The Humanist Psychologist (American Psychological Association - APA), Vol. 53 (2025), pp. 545-564. N2 - In this article, I will analyze how Erich Fromm’s humanism responds to the relatively recent criticism that humanism has faced. To accomplish this, I will address four challenges: antihumanism, transhumanism, posthumanism, and feminism. My main argument is that criticism of humanism in general can be countered using Fromm’s humanistic theories and ideals. I argue that humanism has been wrongly or inadequately accused of various horrors based on shallow premises and flawed arguments. Even when the criticism is valuable and challenges traditional humanism, Fromm’s interpretation of this philosophical tradition can address these accusations. The article’s main research question is how Fromm’s humanism overcomes the aforementioned forms of criticism. Additionally, are any of the critical accusations still relevant to Fromm’s writings? Most importantly, are there critical questions to which Fromm cannot respond? I will argue that, while Fromm’s personal opinions may have been problematic on certain issues, his theoretical framework is stronger. In the broader sense, his theories help us overcome issues that he may have personally neglected. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) Y1 - 2025 ER -