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Fall 2023

ISSN 0890-913X

Volume 38, Number 3

“Apparently, You Don’t”: Economist Jokes as an Educational Tool

Michael Munger, Duke University

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TheJournalofPrivateEnterprise38(3),2023,61-82“Apparently,YouDon’t”:EconomistJokesasanEducationalToolMichaelMunger*DukeUniversityUnitedStatesofAmericaAbstractThispaperaddressesthegrowingliteratureonthecomparativestaticsofrhetoricalequilibrium,usinghumorastheanimatingdevicethatcorrodesexistingnormsforunderstandingthecommercialsystem.Threemotivationsforeconomicsjokesareadvanced:tobefunny,toillustrate,andtomock.Asimplemodelofhumorisadvanced,withthreeindependentvariables—whetherthejokeisfunny,insightful,oraccuratelymocking—thatarearguedtogeneratedifferentlevelsofamusement,thedependentvariable.Oneconclusionisthatjokeseconomiststelleachother,jokeseconomiststelloutsiders,andjokesoutsiderstellthemselvesabouteconomistshavedifferentmixesoftheessentialargumentsoftheamusementfunction.JELCodes:A11andZ1Keywords:economicseducation,humor,rhetoric,economicsociologyI.IntroductionThepersonofthefoolorjesterhasalwaysbeenameansofspeakingtruthtopower,orataminimumprovidingahealthyoutletforfrustrationsbytheruledwithoutcallingdownpunishmentfromtheruler.Shakespeareoftenhadnoblecharactersspeakuncomfortabletruthsasasides,butFesteinTwelfthNightandthefoolinKingLearcanspeaktruthsopenly,becausetheyarejesters.AsFesteputsit(ActI,Scene5),“Betterawittyfoolthanafoolishwit.”Kuran(1993)notesthatpublicopinion,ormajoritywill,canalsobetyrannical,andjokesarelikewiseameansoftentativelysubvertingtheorthodoxyofconventionwithoutfullycommittingtorevolution.Congleton(2022)notesthat“newcircumstances...induceethicalinnovation.Theydosobydisruptingthereflectiveequilibria*TheauthorgratefullyacknowledgesthehelpandadviceofaninsightfulanonymousreviewerandofAlexandraOpreaandher“HumorinPolitics”seminaratDukeUniversity.ManyoftheideasinthispapercamefromdiscussionswiththelateGeoffreyBrennan,bothatDukeandattheAustralianNationalUniversity.

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Title	“Apparently, You Don’t”: Economist Jokes as an Educational Tool
Authors/Creators:	Michael Munger, Duke University
Year:	2023
Volume:	38
Number:	3
Pages:	61 - 82
Publisher:	The Association of Private Enterprise Education
ISSN:	0890-913X
Document Type:	Articles
Keywords:	economics education, humor, rhetoric, economic sociology

Citation:
Munger, Michael / 2023. "“Apparently, You Don’t”: Economist Jokes as an Educational Tool." The Journal of Private Enterprise, 38(3): 61-82.