This paper will examine the second paragraph of Book Four, Chapter Eight, to determine what it is about "ridicule" that causes Aristotle to break away from his usual method of analysis to consider other ways of looking at the problem. Specifically, the question of why Aristotle says that propriety in ridicule "eludes definition" will be considered. The problem is that Aristotle defines ridicule in a later part of the same paragraph, in a way that seems not to admit any acceptable forms.

When looking at good and bad company, Aristotle considers it entirely in terms of "entertaining conversation," such as humor, wit, or ridicule. He argues that "adaptability" in the way we talk to people is desirable, since there is a time and a place for everything. The paragraph begins with indirect

There is a contradiction between "saying amusing things" that do not hurt the feeling of the other person, and using ridicule as a form of abuse. The first type of humor is gentle, and only tries to share a laugh. This is the meaning of good company, giving and taking gentle jokes and witty remarks. But if ridicule is a form of abuse, then it represents an excess, like being bad-tempered is the excess of anger. It might be easier to define abuse as the excess of ridicule, which then represents a range of humor and wit, from the harmless joke to sarcasm. This does not fit the usual understanding of ridicule, however.

Ridicule "eludes definition," as Aristotle puts it, because it includes forms of humor that are not really cruel or abusive. At the same time, every conversation has a different meaning for the person involved; Someone with a good sense of humor can "take a joke," and will laugh at a remark that ridicules something personal, such as their appearance or intelligence. Another person might react very differently, and be extremely insulted. The difference seems to be that a good-humored person can accept jokes and ridicule, while a bad-humored person only wants to make fun of others. In this case, ridicule should be defined as the extreme of humor, involving abuse. The extreme of bad humor is the boor, "contributing no

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Approximate Word count = 909
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)