The term “irony” has always found itself caught up in philosophical discourse, yet this term has only been elevated to the status of a philosophical concept relatively recently along the trajectory of the movement of philosophy. In fact, the philosophical centrality of irony can be traced to the Romantics at the turn of the 19th century and, in particular, to the writings of Friedrich Schlegel, even though the topic of “Socratic irony” has been discussed from Plato’s time on. This is (...) to say that, although it has long been a pondered over that philosophical points can be made ironically, i.e., socratically, the notion that philosophical discourse, philosophy itself, might be essentially informed by irony is a relatively recent proposal. (shrink)

The term “irony” has always found itself caught up in philosophical discourse, yet this term has only been elevated to the status of a philosophical concept relatively recently along the trajectory of the movement of philosophy. In fact, the philosophical centrality of irony can be traced to the Romantics at the turn of the 19th century and, in particular, to the writings of Friedrich Schlegel, even though the topic of “Socratic irony” has been discussed from Plato’s time on. This is (...) to say that, although it has long been a pondered over that philosophical points can be made ironically, i.e., socratically, the notion that philosophical discourse, philosophy itself, might be essentially informed by irony is a relatively recent proposal. (shrink)