Socratic irony

American  

[suh-krat-ik ahy-ruh-nee, ahyer-, soh-] / səˈkræt ɪk ˈaɪ rə ni, ˈaɪər-, soʊ- /

noun

1. pretended ignorance in discussion.

---

Socratic irony British  

noun

1. philosophy a means by which the pretended ignorance of a skilful questioner leads the person answering to expose his own ignorance

---

Etymology

Origin of Socratic irony

First recorded in 1870–75

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Socratic irony

Or maybe it was a different problem: In classic Socratic irony, there has to be somebody who doesn’t get the joke, and I had a sneaking suspicion it might be me.

From Salon ● Feb. 11, 2017

Many of these, with a sort of Socratic irony, gave themselves ludicrous names, or names expressive of ignorance.

From The Project Gutenberg Encyclopedia Volume 1 of 28 by Project Gutenberg

Carlyle's grotesque is a mode of his golden silence, a sort of Socratic irony, in the indulgence of which he laughs at his readers and at himself.

From Thomas Carlyle by John Nichol

The sophists using the Socratic irony are pronounced happy because of the mass and volume of their words; others play upon words.

From Education in England in the Middle Ages Thesis Approved for the Degree of Doctor of Science in the University of London by Albert William Parry

The Socrates of the Philebus is devoid of any touch of Socratic irony, though here, as in the Phaedrus, he twice attributes the flow of his ideas to a sudden inspiration.

From Philebus by Benjamin Jowett

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---