Authors To Tickle a Philosophical Funny Bone

Everybody has to be somewhere, and the authors of "Plato and Platypus Walk Into a Bar" and "Heidegger and Hippo Walk Through Those Pearly Gates" are going to be at theater on Thursday night.

Authors Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein are scheduled to appear on Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. by using humor to explain the philosophy.

"Plato and Platypus Walk Into a Bar - Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes," walks the reader through the classic categories of philosophy with the concepts explained or illustrated through jokes. The chapter titles, "Metaphysics," "Logic," "Epistemology," "Ethics," "Existentialism," and "Philosophy of Language," are serious, but the approach is a mix of serious and comic.

The pair met and became best friends while studying philosophy at Harvard University. After graduation, they each pursued various careers.

Cathcart was a probation officer, worked for Blue Cross-Blue Shield and was the chief operating officer of a hospital, while continuing his education in divinity. His essay, "The Ontological Argument Works! (sort of)" appeared in Theology Today.

Klein wrote jokes for various comedians including Flip Wilson and Lily Tomlin, designed stunts for Candid Camera, co-created the board game "Group Therapy" before building a steady career as a writer.

Philosophy and humor have a lot in common, according to Klein.

"Both of them play a trick on your mind. They lead you down one path then all of a sudden jump out of the system," said Klein in a video posted on their website. "What we would call today thinking outside of the box." 

The pair will be speaking and available to sign books at the event, which is free.