Entertainment / Literature / Socratic Irony: Adapting a form of ironic false modesty in which a speaker claims ignorance regarding a question or philosophical problem. The speaker then turns to another 'authority' and raises the question humbly, asking for the expert's answer. When the 'authority,' presents an answer, the 'modest' original speaker continues to ask pointed questions, eventually revealing the limitations or inadequacies of the supposed expert--all the while protesting his or her own inferior knowledge. The irony comes from the speaker's continuing presentation of himself as stupid even as he demolishes inferior ideas others present to him. This is the method Socrates supposedly took regarding philosophical inquiry, and it is named socratic irony in his honor. See also irony and socratic dialogue, above.
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Entertainment / Literature / Socratic Dialogue: An attempt to explore a philosophical problem by presenting a series of speakers who argue about an issue and ask each other questions. These various individuals hash out their ideas, accepting some a MORE
Entertainment / Literature / Irony: Cicero referred to irony as 'saying one thing and meaning another.' Irony comes in many forms. Verbal irony (also called sarcasm) is a trope in which a speaker makes a statement in which its actual me MORE
Entertainment / Literature / Socratic Irony: Adapting a form of ironic false modesty in which a speaker claims ignorance regarding a question or philosophical problem. The speaker then turns to another 'authority' and raises the question humbly, MORE