Thanks to its mnemonic value laughter is very useful in facilitating the study of arid subjects that are based primarily on memory. There exists, for instance, a French book on anatomy in which the subject is dealt with amusingly, and I recall having used it with pleasure when I studied that dry science. In the same way can the amusing Chemistry in Verses by Alberto Cavaliere be of great aid in remembering the properties of various chemical substances. Laughter can be particularly helpful in the teaching of languages, by rendering alive their study which is so boring and dry if they are taught according to the pedantic grammatical method still in use in many schools. In conclusion, our motto should be study and teach with joy.
Laughter can also have great moral and spiritual value.
There is the vulgar, gross laughter, a simple enjoyment of the instincts which, alas, is only too widespread. Then there is, finally, the simple inoffensive, comical laughter, such as is produced by puns, limericks, etc., which has no moral value and does not pretend to have any. The spiritual value of laughter depends on the intention of the one who arouses it. There exist, for instance, literary expressions of the comical, such as satire, parody and comedy which sometimes can have social and ethical value if their purpose is to denounce hypocrisy and immorality or to unmask pretensions and vanities. Remarkable examples of this function of the comical are Moliere's comedies and Orwell's satires.