Socratic irony

American  

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

noun

1. pretended ignorance in discussion.

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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

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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

The statements of the Memorabilia respecting the trial and death of Socrates agree generally with Plato; but they have lost the flavour of Socratic irony in the narrative of Xenophon.

From Apology by Jowett, Benjamin

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 Nichol, John

By a method of quiet cross-examination, the "Socratic irony," he made them aware of their lack of clear ideas and tenable, consistent opinions, and endeavored to guide them aright.

From Outline of Universal History by Fisher, George Park

That is, Carlyle uses irony in the common English sense; the Socratic irony, the irony of the "Modest Proposal."

From A History of English Romanticism in the Nineteenth Century by Beers, Henry A. (Henry Augustin)