A Fragment of Irony: Non-Ironic Disputes Over Socrates' Irony

The article examines theories of Socratic irony that have been published in recent years. Most of these theories appeared as a response to the theory of irony, which was proposed by the American scholar of ancient philosophy Gregory Vlastos in his last work on the philosophy of Socrates in 1991. Vlastos' theory has generated much criticism and great interest in the issue. Although most researchers do not share his view, it is his solution that remains at the center of the ongoing debate. The author of the article focuses on theories of the nature and functions of irony. Analysis of these theories shows that irony is a complex phenomenon that exists in several dimensions. The author of the article highlights the following aspects on which the understanding of Socratic irony is based: semantic (linguistic), discursive, interpersonal, metanarrative one. In addition, the author believes, irony presupposes a certain level of understanding for both the audience and the reader. This level is difficult to measure. All this makes the phenomenon of irony in Socratic dialogues inaccessible to formalization at the moment.