Socratic Irony In Plato's Apology

Socratic irony has puzzled philosophical inquirers ever since the publication of Plato’s dialogues. Unlike the writings of Aristotle or Epicurus, the dramatic nature of Plato’s dialogues leaves some uncertainty as to whether Socrates truly means what he says. Even the most casual reader cannot help but smile while Socrates admires the knowledge of a seemingly unintelligent interlocutor. For the purposes of this essay, irony is defined as when a character says or acts knowingly in a way that is incongruous with reality. The question of Socratic irony is fundamentally important while reading Plato. Take for example when Socrates disavows knowledge in the Apology (21d). If one understands Socrates to be ironic, that is he does not mean what he says, then the character of Socrates becomes knowledgable. However, if one understands Socrates’ disavowal literally, then he becomes a genuine enquirer. Today, many scholars take the position that Socrates is an ironic character. This is largely due to Aristotle’s considerable influence on Western thought (Lane 241). Aristotle uses the character of Socrates to epitomize irony as a type of self-deprecation in contrast to boastfulness (NE 1127b28). While this ascription of irony to Socrates was meant to illustrate the mean of truthfulness, not act …show more content…
Once again, it is tempting to assume that Socrates is praising them ironically, like when he tells Euthyphro, “you’re as much younger as wiser than I” (12a). In assuming this, the irony is often interpreted as having a pedagogical purpose. By ironically praising the interlocutor, Socrates intended the humiliation to cause the interlocutor to reassess their views and make them strive to truly learn (Lane 252). However, it is far more likely that it is intended as genuine praise. If the praise is genuine, then it is meant to encourage the interlocutor to continue to engage