Not To Be Trusted With Knives - Latest Comments in Socratic Irony

Re: Socratic Irony

Beth — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:17:58 -0000

@Demonweed - The dictionary I was look at clearly needs a better definition. I can see how Socratic irony would relate, as you say, to the Socratic method and that the questions by the instructor using the Socratic method would be Socratically ironic (because, of course, they know the answer to the question when they ask it)... but stupid dictionary.com has only that vague four word definition. My kingdom for an Oxford English dictionary!

Re: Socratic Irony

Jan Karlsbjerg — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 02:57:07 -0000

Yeah, thanks Demonweed for making me look up another word in the dictionary. Jeez.

Re: Socratic Irony

Demonweed — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 02:10:31 -0000

It seems to me that Socratic irony refers to a specific subset of feigned ignorance where the affectation takes the form of questioning that leads others toward learning. Typically, the Socratic method comes with a sagacious tone. When instead it takes the form of humble curiosity, it is innately ironic since it is not possible to embark on a course of deliberately leading questions without already having some sense of the destination.

Re: Socratic Irony

Raul — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 01:54:23 -0000

You read the dictionary. For fun. Weird ;)