... while undermining them, or to disparage his own superior abilities while manifesting them" (Blackburn, 2008). I will attempt to analyze Plato's use of irony throughout the Apology and look at various modern day philosophers' points of view on the subject. Socrates is known as one of the greatest philosophers ... what is and is not meant ironically from becoming merely a matter of personal impression, it is important to come up with a way to determine irony. According to Vasiliou an interpretation of a statement as ironic must involve a comparison of some sort. The meaning of the stateme...

• Word Count: 2531
• Approx Pages: 10
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... sees its beginning in Socrates' claim to complete ignorance, is present throughout Plato's dialogues. Socrates then uses this irony to bring his interlocutors to a state in which all content has been emptied from their minds "a state that is altogether negative. This negative aspect, in turn, can be seen ... realised he knew nothing; this state is also known as aporia. Kierkegaard describes this process of emptying one of all one's purported knowledge as "negating."" This negation is achieved through irony, which is actually seen by Kierkegaard as the whole essence of Socrates' charact...

• Word Count: 779
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography

... sees its beginning in Socrates' claim to complete ignorance, is present throughout Plato's dialogues. Socrates then uses this irony to bring his interlocutors to a state in which all content has been emptied from their minds "a state that is altogether negative. This negative aspect, in turn, can be seen ... realised he knew nothing; this state is also known as aporia. Kierkegaard describes this process of emptying one of all one's purported knowledge as "negating."" This negation is achieved through irony, which is actually seen by Kierkegaard as the whole essence of Socrates' charact...

• Word Count: 781
• Approx Pages: 3

... be manufactured that will serve the purpose as well" (388). Thoreau vividly depicts the loss of humanity when an individual allocates their power to a governmental authority. He also recognizes the irony and hypocrisy of dissenters of slavery and the Mexican War being called unpatriotic and troublemakers. While being citizen of the United States of America was something to be proud of ... worth three killings? One must never appraise values save in terms of our own interests" (De Sade, 491). Theresa is appalled by the lack of accountability of Dubois, but the irony is that because she i...

• Word Count: 2901
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... held, sometimes prejudicial, beliefs and as William Blake hypothesised, this sleep may not necessarily be the proposed safety that people believe it is. Sometimes we cry for safety yet whisper irony. "Expect poison from the standing water." William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell....

• Word Count: 892
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Graduate

... that we may so attain an ideal state. Socrates also says early in the work that we are tied to the kind of government we have already established. With Socratic irony, Socrates actually explains that the ideal state might not necessarily be something to try to attain. I think his only reason for his describing in detail his different ideals for the ... ...

• Word Count: 1222
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... the opinion that he became frustrated with society's apathy toward his revelations. Socrates didn't seek people to engage in conversation, but he was a well-known philosopher who welcomed discussion. The irony of his death was that it came when he was seventy years old. In 400 B.C., this was exceptionally old. It is worth noting that the man was clearly close to ... ...

• Word Count: 8371
• Approx Pages: 33
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... devoted followers. Throughout his philosophical life, Socrates stirs the pot by forcing man to think deeply about himself. In doing so he inadvertently caused people to feel intellectually inferior. The irony of this was that it was not his intention to belittle his fellow man, but raise him up above the archaic beliefs he held that regulated his life, those which ... ...

• Word Count: 1135
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... masterpiece. Therefore Socrates is not portraying his character in the right manner, and has put his audience in a frame of mind that does not help his plight at all. This irony no way fulfils the rhetoric function. In his speech of defense Socrates tries to explain how his inquiring on behalf of the Oracle actually led to him being branded as ... ...

• Word Count: 2000
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... corrupting the youth is as follows. Socrates had a prophecy about being the wisest man in the city but then acknowledged to himself that he wasn't; this is an example of irony. After Socrates acknowledged not being the wisest man in all of Athens he then began to go around and question the politicians and high citizens of the city on their ... ...

• Word Count: 1748
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

"The Allegory" as a Reflection on My Life (a): Literature dramatizes self-knowledge. It reveals irony and abstraction. It manifests in imagery which relates to situations in everyday life. Like the expression, literature is an "eye opener" for several people. The Allegory for example. It certainly ... ...

• Word Count: 556
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... looking for he disrupts Euthypro's thinking and actually teaches him instead of being taught by Euthypro. Socrates is the philosopher in this piece of work and uses his sense of irony to confuse Euthypro who is the philodoxer. The question that is trying to be answer in their discussion is what is the true definition of someone or something being pious ... ...

• Word Count: 671
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate