The irony is simply a figure of speech consisting in affirming one thing but meaning the opposite. For example, if I see on TV and say Monica Bellucci "Look at that process pedals" I'm doing irony, because I want to say is that Monica Bellucci is not an ugly woman.
But it's important to distinguish the irony of the lie, or deceit. If one asks me how I am on the phone and I say I'm bad, though in reality I feel good, maybe because I did not want to go out with him and see him, I'm not being ironic, but I'm just lying.
outside, the difference is hard to grasp, an ironic phrase and a lie are formally indistinguishable, except for a certain tone of voice that can help you grasp the meaning of the utterance. What matters, however, is the intention. Since irony is not will to deceive anyone, usually used in contexts where it is difficult to be a really misled.
For example, in the case of Monica Bellucci, it is obvious to anyone watching TV with me that Bellucci is a great piece of woman (to add the other wicked irony, I could also say "but at least you understand that when he speaks is very intelligent") and then he can understand that I can not be serious. Instead my other person on the phone can not know how I'm actually, so even if I wanted to do irony fail because he did not how to take it.
The irony is therefore a sophisticated epistemological stance, a fairly convoluted and complicated to say something. If I want to say that Monica Bellucci is beautiful, because I do not say directly that she is beautiful, but to say that it is a process, risking to be misunderstood and to be mistaken for someone who does not appreciate the beautiful women? Well, ignoring the poverty of the example, the goal is probably humorous, and although this leaves open the question even more complex, what is the humor.
However, the irony, though often aggressive, it's quite popular in society, and sometimes it is also a way to defuse tensions. If you say something that proved to be particularly annoying, you can always get away with saying "but I was ironic." "You're a filthy dickhead", "How dare you?", "I was ironic," "LOL". "I think I will vote the League," "I divorce, "" I was ironic, "I love you.
is also a way to pass himself off as intelligent people, especially in the version, particularly popular, called" irony ", which consists of assuming attitudes of contempt against it to signify that it is instead of the genes (or self-exaltation, said to be beautiful to signify that it was ugly, but always to make people understand to be ironic and then intellgent). That is to say ironically being silly, for some mysterious reason, increases the chances of being considered intelligent, much more than claiming to be intelligent enough (which is often even counterproductive).
authority suprema, in fatto di ironia e autoironia, è il filosofo greco Socrate, che ad esempio diceva spesso di essere ignorante, ma in realtà si considerava una persona molto saggia, e infatti proprio il suo "so di non sapere" è considerato un esempio di grande saggezza. Per questo, al posto del termine "ironia", si usa spesso anche "ironia socratica".
Però c'è un piccolo problema. Il fatto è che, sebbene il termine "ironia" sia attestato negli scritti platonici, e proprio in riferimento a Socrate, ai tempi di Socrate quel termine non significava affatto la stessa cosa che significa oggi. In effetti, εἰρωνεία significava proprio "falsità", "ipocrisia". Quindi Socrates' interlocutors, a careful reading, they were not complimenting him for his humor, but was giving the false and hypocritical.
Gregory Vlastos, in his fine essay on Socrates, argues that the term probably also had a secondary meaning, closer to that of today, and who would later become the most popular sense of the term, by obscuring the primary meaning, just with Socrates. Although it is true that Socrates' opponents accuse him of irony to be understood to mean something negative, and not exactly a compliment, it is also true that Socrates is not just deceiving them.
that of Socrates, however, Nor is irony in the modern sense of the word, because it is also true, as the discomfort felt by his audience shows, there is an element of concealment in her attitude. If that was irony in using a contemporary, would be a misuse of irony, because it constantly misunderstood and not understood. As one who wants to be funny but that is just continually forced to explain his jokes ("I'm sorry, I was ironic).
course, the irony of Socrates is more destabilizing than today, because they do not always understand. Vlastos calls it "complex irony." In essence, this is one thing to say, not understanding the exact opposite, but meaning just what it says, only in a sense other than the most literal and immediately understandable.
For example, when Socrates claims to be ignorant, asking his audience to enlighten him on some aspects of knowledge, it is not accurate to say that this is a figure of speech that Socrates is in fact claiming to be wise. Socrates is considered a very ignorant one who does not know. But his ignorance invites us to consider another point of view, positive, considering it a form of knowledge, deeper than the superficial knowledge of the sophists and notional.
Similarly, when in a famous passage from the Symposium (that of Xenophon, not the Platone), sostiene di poter vincere un concorso di bellezza con un avvenente giovanotto, nonostante avesse fama di essere bruttissimo, non è semplicemente perché faccia dell'umorismo, o della (argh) autoironia. Egli in realtà ci invita a riconsiderare i concetti di bellezza e bruttezza, e a vederli sotto nuove e inedite angolazioni. Ci sta dicendo, per chi vuole capirlo, che esiste un tipo di bellezza più importante di quella del corpo.
SOCRATE. Pensi forse che la bellezza si dia solo nell'uomo, o anche in qualche altro essere?
CRITOBULO. Io credo che la si possa trovare anche in un cavallo o in un bue ed in molte cose inanimate. Ad esempio io riconosco come bello uno scudo, una sword or a spear.
S. And how is it possible that so many different things can be beautiful and free from any relationship with each other?
C. Why, if these objects were made in a timely manner for the purposes for which we buy them, or are designed by nature to our needs, then these objects I call them beautiful in each case.
S. Well, then your eyes to what we need?
C. Of course, to see.
S. Then it is shown that ready-my eyes are more beautiful than yours. Why? Why do your see only what is in front of you, as my protruding out so that I can see is also what I alongside no less than what I faced.
C. You mean the crab is an animal that has the most beautiful eyes?
S. That's right, because from the point of view of efficiency, his eyes are better than those designed by nature.
C. All right, but which of our two noses is the best?
S. My, I would say it is true that the gods have given us the nostrils to catch the smells, since your are directed to the ground, while mine are pretty large so as to incorporate the smells from all sides.
C. But how does a snub nose Could be more beautiful than a right?
S. Why does not constitute an obstacle, but allowing the eyes to see what they want, while a higher back of the nose as it obstructs the view of spite.
C. The same will also apply to the mouth, I grant you right now, because if the mouth is made to bite, you can nip a lot bigger than mine.
S. Then, with my thick lips, do not think I can give much more soft kisses?
C. To give you listening, I would have a mouth ugliest asses.
S. This is not, then, another reason why I'm better looking than you? The Naiad, who are goddesses, Sileni generate those which resemble much more to me than to you.
C. I do not know how they react. It also put to the vote to decide now what should I do or I have to pay a fine.
Socrates, nowadays, if it made its appearance on a social network, would not be considered a person's ironic. The irony now is something harmless, non-disruptive, not angry and does not reflect. Socrates was so angry but his contemporaries who eventually had to kill to get rid of him. The right word for Socrates is not "ironic" but another. Socrates today would be a fake.