Irony as a Way of Life? Truth and Irony: Philosophical Meditations on Erasmus, Terence J.Martin, Catholic University of America Press, 2015 (ISBN 978‐0‐8132‐2809‐9), xii + 259 pp., hb $65A Case for Irony, JonathanLear, Harvard University Press, 2011 (ISBN 978‐0‐6744‐1688‐8), xiv + 210 pp., pb £15.95. Issue 2 (April 2017)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- Irony as a Way of Life? Truth and Irony: Philosophical Meditations on Erasmus, Terence J.Martin, Catholic University of America Press, 2015 (ISBN 978‐0‐8132‐2809‐9), xii + 259 pp., hb $65A Case for Irony, JonathanLear, Harvard University Press, 2011 (ISBN 978‐0‐6744‐1688‐8), xiv + 210 pp., pb £15.95. Issue 2 (April 2017)
- Main Title:
- Irony as a Way of Life? Truth and Irony: Philosophical Meditations on Erasmus, Terence J.Martin, Catholic University of America Press, 2015 (ISBN 978‐0‐8132‐2809‐9), xii + 259 pp., hb $65A Case for Irony, JonathanLear, Harvard University Press, 2011 (ISBN 978‐0‐6744‐1688‐8), xiv + 210 pp., pb £15.95
- Authors:
- Ravenscroft, Simon
- Abstract:
- Abstract: As a figure of speech for which a speaker's meaning is taken to be the opposite of what she says, irony may not ordinarily be linked to truthfulness. Two recent books by Terence J. Martin and Jonathan Lear nonetheless mount convincing cases for a more complex, philosophical understanding of irony as non‐cynical, and as having a constructive role to play in the truthful and well‐lived life. Taking Erasmus, and Socrates and Kierkegaard as their main sources respectively, both authors argue that the experience of irony allows for a specific form of truthfulness to emerge about who we are as finite beings. This review essay leads with an analysis of the argument developed in defence of this point in Martin's book on Erasmus, before bringing Lear into the conversation in order to reveal shortcomings in Martin's theorisation of irony. This is followed by a critical response to Lear's own account, which allows for further reflection on the relation between irony, religion, and theology in his and Martin's main sources.
- Is Part Of:
- Reviews in religion and theology. Volume 24:Issue 2(2017)
- Journal:
- Reviews in religion and theology
- Issue:
- Volume 24:Issue 2(2017)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 24, Issue 2 (2017)
- Year:
- 2017
- Volume:
- 24
- Issue:
- 2
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2017-0024-0002-0000
- Page Start:
- 228
- Page End:
- 235
- Publication Date:
- 2017-04
- Subjects:
- irony -- Erasmus -- Socrates -- Søren Kierkegaard -- folly -- virtue -- truth
Religion -- Book reviews -- Periodicals
Theology -- Book reviews -- Periodicals
016.291 - Journal URLs:
- http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1467-9418 ↗
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1111/rirt.12887 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 1350-7303
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - 7794.192950
British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 809.xml