St. Francis de Sales: Introduction to the Devout Life (1609)

Assuming a somewhat similar attitude to that of Barrow's, St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622), a Catholic theologian of the time, makes his remarks on the innocuous nature of humor. He draws a distinction between mockery (derision) and eutrapelia (gaiety; cf: "Aristotle on Comedy and Laughter" I & II, and also the Sima Qian article) and asserts that the former delivers malice while the latter derives gaiety:



(portrait taken from: http://www.passionists.com/Companions%2019.html. Passionist Companions: ANOTHER FORM OF PASSIONIST ASSOCIATION. December 4, 2010.)

Mockery is one of the worst of vices, one which God detests and one which he has often punished in strange ways in the past. Nothig is so opposed to charity, and even more to devotion, as contempt and scorn for those about us. Derision or mockery always involves contempt and so is gravely sinful, [...]. But with regard to what we say in fun and with innocent humour, this pertains to the virtue which the Greeks called eutrapelia, and which we may refer to as gaiety, by means of which arise from human imperfection; but we must be very careful lest this degenerate into mockery. Mockery provokes laughter out of scorn and contempt for our neighbour, but innocent humour and friendly laughter at some witty saying, arises from a lawful freedom and familiarity. (Part III, Chapter XXVII, Introduction to the Devout LIfe)*

With the distinction drawn and the caution suggested, St. Francis de Sales shows a positive yet still conservative attitude toward humor and laughter. However, in the anti-humor climate of early Modernity, such an attitude is exceptionally advanced and probably only next to Barrow's. What is most revolutionary in his viewpoint is that humor, as a virtue, branches from human imperfection.

*Francis of Sales, St. Introduction to the Devout Life. Trans. Michael Day. New York: Image Books, 1989. 160-161.