I teach 'Theory of Knowledge'. That's part of my job description now. We have many questions that count as TOK questions. Epistemological questions, ethical questions, ontological questions, the works.For once, though, I have a very strong TOK answer rather than a TOK question. The question is, "Can I explain humour?" The answer is 'no'.Discussing existentialism in class, I naturally spoke about René Descartes and his famous 'I think, therefore I am.'Very stupidly, I decided to tell a joke as well about how Descartes walked into McDonald's and ordered a burger. "Do you want fries with that?" asked the waiter. "I think not," replied René, and he disappeared.I waited for smiles, chuckles, or at least some measure of comprehension.Blank faces.Even more foolishly, I explained the joke.Some shrugs. So, how is that funny anyway? That was the unspoken response.I had no answer. … [Read more...]