Download or read book Ironic Life written by Richard J. Bernstein and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2018-03-15 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Just as philosophy begins with doubt, so also a life that may be called human begins with irony" so wrote Kierkegaard. While we commonly think of irony as a figure of speech where someone says one thing and means the opposite, the concept of irony has long played a more fundamental role in the tradition of philosophy, a role that goes back to Socrates Ð the originator and exemplar of the urbane ironic life. But what precisely is Socratic irony and what relevance, if any, does it have for us today? Bernstein begins his inquiry with a critical examination of the work of two contemporary philosophers for whom irony is vital: Jonathan Lear and Richard Rorty. Despite their sharp differences, Bernstein argues that they complement one other, each exploring different aspects of ironic life. In the background of Lear’s and Rorty’s accounts stand the two great ironists: Socrates and Kierkegaard. Focusing on the competing interpretations of Socratic irony by Gregory Vlastos and Alexander Nehamas, Bernstein shows how they further develop our understanding of irony as a form of life and as an art of living. Bernstein also develops a distinctive interpretation of Kierkegaard’s famous claim that a life that may be called human begins with irony. Bernstein weaves together the insights of these thinkers to show how each contributes to a richer understanding of ironic life. He also argues that the emphasis on irony helps to restore the balance between two different philosophical traditions philosophy as a theoretical discipline concerned with getting things right and philosophy as a practical discipline that shapes how we ought to live our lives.
Download or read book The Irony of Life written by Henryk Sienkiewicz and published by Poole. This book was released on 1900 with total page 598 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Rose Society written by Marie Lu and published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 2015-10-13 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Vengeful in the aftermath of cruel betrayals by both family and friends, Adelina flees with her sister to build an army of fellow Young Elites in an effort to strike down the white-cloaked Inquisition Axis soldiers who nearly killed her.
Download or read book A Case for Irony written by Jonathan Lear and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2011-10-24 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 2001, Vanity Fair declared that the Age of Irony was over. Joan Didion has lamented that the United States in the era of Barack Obama has become an "irony-free zone." Jonathan Lear in his 2006 book Radical Hope looked into America’s heart to ask how might we dispose ourselves if we came to feel our way of life was coming to an end. Here, he mobilizes a squad of philosophers and a psychoanalyst to once again forge a radical way forward, by arguing that no genuinely human life is possible without irony. Becoming human should not be taken for granted, Lear writes. It is something we accomplish, something we get the hang of, and like Kierkegaard and Plato, Lear claims that irony is one of the essential tools we use to do this. For Lear and the participants in his Socratic dialogue, irony is not about being cool and detached like a player in a Woody Allen film. That, as Johannes Climacus, one of Kierkegaard’s pseudonymous authors, puts it, “is something only assistant professors assume.” Instead, it is a renewed commitment to living seriously, to experiencing every disruption that shakes us out of our habitual ways of tuning out of life, with all its vicissitudes. While many over the centuries have argued differently, Lear claims that our feelings and desires tend toward order, a structure that irony shakes us into seeing. Lear’s exchanges with his interlocutors strengthen his claims, while his experiences as a practicing psychoanalyst bring an emotionally gripping dimension to what is at stake—the psychic costs and benefits of living with irony.
Download or read book The Irony of American History written by Reinhold Niebuhr and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2010-01-22 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “[Niebuhr] is one of my favorite philosophers. I take away [from his works] the compelling idea that there’s serious evil in the world, and hardship and pain. And we should be humble and modest in our belief we can eliminate those things. But we shouldn’t use that as an excuse for cynicism and inaction. I take away . . . the sense we have to make these efforts knowing they are hard.”—President Barack Obama Forged during the tumultuous but triumphant postwar years when America came of age as a world power, The Irony of American History is more relevant now than ever before. Cited by politicians as diverse as Hillary Clinton and John McCain, Niebuhr’s masterpiece on the incongruity between personal ideals and political reality is both an indictment of American moral complacency and a warning against the arrogance of virtue. Impassioned, eloquent, and deeply perceptive, Niebuhr’s wisdom will cause readers to rethink their assumptions about right and wrong, war and peace. “The supreme American theologian of the twentieth century.”—Arthur Schlesinger Jr., New York Times “Niebuhr is important for the left today precisely because he warned about America’s tendency—including the left’s tendency—to do bad things in the name of idealism. His thought offers a much better understanding of where the Bush administration went wrong in Iraq.”—Kevin Mattson, The Good Society “Irony provides the master key to understanding the myths and delusions that underpin American statecraft. . . . The most important book ever written on US foreign policy.”—Andrew J. Bacevich, from the Introduction
Download or read book The Big Book of Irony written by Jon Winokur and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2007-02-06 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jon Winokur defines and classifies irony and contrasts it with coincidence and cynicism, and other oft-confused concepts that many think are ironic. He looks at the different forms irony can take, from an irony deficiency to visual irony to an understatement, using photographs and relate-able examples from pop culture. * "Irony in Action" looks at irony in language, both verbal and visual, while "Bastions of Irony" and "Masters of Irony" look at institutions and individuals steeped in irony, though not always intentionally. PLUS: * The Annals of Irony looks at irony, and its lack thereof, throughout history. A delight for anyone with a smart, dark sense of humor.
Download or read book Mahabharat s Stories written by Seema Bharti and published by . This book was released on 2018-06-15 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: I travel with time back and forth I witness the rise and fall of kings Humans become big and small with their deeds irrespective of their birth What is created is bound to perish with time All is left behind are lessons to be learnt. Pandavs are a set of five step-brothers married to the same woman, Draupadi. She is the most powerful female character and becomes the pivot point of the battle. The brothers are led by Arjun, who is one of them. Krishna is the mentor who grooms his protégé Arjun for the battle against injustice. While Arjun is reluctant and guilt ridden to fight relations for the sake of a kingdom, Krishna explains to him his duty as a warrior and human being.
Download or read book Irony written by Nick White and published by . This book was released on 2024-06-29 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Of all the evidences for God to be found on the Wiki page 'Existence of God', you won't find irony listed. In fact, historically, writers have used irony to argue against God. Literary giants like Voltaire used irony to obliterate faith. But what if the real irony of Alanis Morissette's iconic song was that the lyrics really were ironic after all? What if God had created irony to hint at his existence? This non-fiction book is written for the agnostics, the seekers, the doubters, the sceptics. It is not primarily aimed at believers or atheists (although these two groups will find it interesting). It is particularly aimed at those who find it difficult not to blame a seemingly malevolent God when things go wrong. It is a practical book which doesn't shy away from the fact that God allows negative irony to take place within our lives. In the book I call for a wider definition of the word in keeping with today's understanding. Language evolves and for many people irony today is not the strict dictionary definition. Irony can also be hypocrisy, 'crazy bad luck' and even serendipity. But we live in post-ironic, post-truth, and post-God times - we are far too sophisticated to accept dogmas which we may have been expected to accept in the past. So how can irony be evidence for a benevolent God? To find that out you may need to read this book. This book won't resolve the issue of suffering. It won't make you rich or make your tweets go viral. 'Why should I read your book then?' I hear you think. Firstly, because, you may want to know why everything is currently conspiring to keep you from reading it. Secondly, because it's original and brings fresh ideas forward. Thirdly, because it's shiny?
Download or read book Chic Ironic Bitterness written by R. Jay Magill and published by University of Michigan Press. This book was released on 2009-12-18 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A brilliant and timely reflection on irony in contemporary American culture “This book is a powerful and persuasive defense of sophisticated irony and subtle humor that contributes to the possibility of a genuine civic trust and democratic life. R. Jay Magill deserves our congratulations for a superb job!” —Cornel West, University Professor, Princeton University “A well-written, well-argued assessment of the importance of irony in contemporary American social life, along with the nature of recent misguided attacks and, happily, a deep conviction that irony is too important in our lives to succumb. The book reflects wide reading, varied experience, and real analytical prowess.” —Peter Stearns, Provost, George Mason University “Somehow, Americans—a pragmatic and colloquial lot, for the most part—are now supposed to speak the Word, without ironic embellishment, in order to rebuild the civic culture. So irony’s critics decide it has become ‘worthy of moral condemnation.’ Magill pushes back against this new conventional wisdom, eloquently defending a much livelier American sensibility than the many apologists for a somber ‘civic culture’ could ever acknowledge." —William Chaloupka, Chair and Professor, Department of Political Science, Colorado State University The events of 9/11 had many pundits on the left and right scrambling to declare an end to the Age of Irony. But six years on, we're as ironic as ever. From The Simpsons and Borat to The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, the ironic worldview measures out a certain cosmopolitan distance, keeping hypocrisy and threats to personal integrity at bay. Chic Ironic Bitterness is a defense of this detachment, an attitude that helps us preserve values such as authenticity, sincerity, and seriousness that might otherwise be lost in a world filled with spin, marketing, and jargon. And it is an effective counterweight to the prevailing conservative view that irony is the first step toward cynicism and the breakdown of Western culture. R. Jay Magill, Jr., is a writer and illustrator whose work has appeared in American Prospect, American Interest, Atlantic Monthly, Foreign Policy, International Herald Tribune, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Print, amongother periodicals and books. A former Harvard Teaching Fellow and Executive Editor of DoubleTake, he holds a Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Hamburg in Germany. This is his first book.
Download or read book The Cask of Amontillado written by Edgar Allan Poe and published by Hyweb Technology Co. Ltd.. This book was released on 2011-09-15 with total page 131 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Story Of An Hour written by Kate Chopin and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2014-04-22 with total page 11 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mrs. Louise Mallard, afflicted with a heart condition, reflects on the death of her husband from the safety of her locked room. Originally published in Vogue magazine, “The Story of an Hour” was retitled as “The Dream of an Hour,” when it was published amid much controversy under its new title a year later in St. Louis Life. “The Story of an Hour” was adapted to film in The Joy That Kills by director Tina Rathbone, which was part of a PBS anthology called American Playhouse. HarperPerennial Classics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.
Download or read book Have You Ever Noticed written by Joe Moore and published by . This book was released on 1985 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Irony and Sarcasm written by Roger Kreuz and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2020-02-18 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A biography of two troublesome words. Isn't it ironic? Or is it? Never mind, I'm just being sarcastic (or am I?). Irony and sarcasm are two of the most misused, misapplied, and misunderstood words in our conversational lexicon. In this volume in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series, psycholinguist Roger Kreuz offers an enlightening and concise overview of the life and times of these two terms, mapping their evolution from Greek philosophy and Roman rhetoric to modern literary criticism to emojis. Kreuz describes eight different ways that irony has been used through the centuries, proceeding from Socratic to dramatic to cosmic irony. He explains that verbal irony—irony as it is traditionally understood—refers to statements that mean something different (frequently the opposite) of what is literally intended, and defines sarcasm as a type of verbal irony. Kreuz outlines the prerequisites for irony and sarcasm (one of which is a shared frame of reference); clarifies what irony is not (coincidence, paradox, satire) and what it can be (among other things, a socially acceptable way to express hostility); recounts ways that people can signal their ironic intentions; and considers the difficulties of online irony. Finally, he wonders if, because irony refers to so many different phenomena, people may gradually stop using the word, with sarcasm taking over its verbal duties.
Download or read book The Irony of Free Speech written by Owen Fiss and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2009-06-01 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How free is the speech of someone who can't be heard? Not very--and this, Owen Fiss suggests, is where the First Amendment comes in. In this book, a marvel of conciseness and eloquence, Fiss reframes the debate over free speech to reflect the First Amendment's role in ensuring public debate that is, in Justice William Brennan's words, truly uninhibited, robust, and wide-open. Hate speech, pornography, campaign spending, funding for the arts: the heated, often overheated, struggle over these issues generally pits liberty, as embodied in the First Amendment, against equality, as in the Fourteenth. Fiss presents a democratic view of the First Amendment that transcends this opposition. If equal participation is a precondition of free and open public debate, then the First Amendment encompasses the values of both equality and liberty. By examining the silencing effects of speech--its power to overwhelm and intimidate the underfunded, underrepresented, or disadvantaged voice--Fiss shows how restrictions on political expenditures, hate speech, and pornography can be defended in terms of the First Amendment, not despite it. Similarly, when the state requires the media to air voices of opposition, or funds art that presents controversial or challenging points of view, it is doing its constitutional part to protect democratic self-rule from the aggregations of private power that threaten it. Where most liberal accounts cast the state as the enemy of freedom and the First Amendment as a restraint, this one reminds us that the state can also be the friend of freedom, protecting and fostering speech that might otherwise die unheard, depriving our democracy of the full range and richness of its expression.
Download or read book Irony written by Theophilus Nicholson and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2017-04-21 with total page 175 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are moments in life when we discover the fallacies in some prior teachings we have received. Such moments, tend to lay caution to youthful idealism and are replaced by new realities. These realities may rattle the foundations of our ideological and spiritual underpinning, but, they still enter our lives and minds without fail.
Download or read book Kierkegaard s Writings written by Søren Kierkegaard and published by . This book was released on 1978 with total page 652 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Life You Save May Be Your Own written by Flannery O'Connor and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2015-01-01 with total page 22 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Tom Shiftlet arrives on a farm owned by an old woman and her deaf daughter, he is at first only interested in finding a place to stay in exchange for work. However, when the old woman offers her daughter Lucynell to him in marriage, along with a sum of money, he accepts, though his intentions towards the girl remain unclear. Similar in theme and style to many of other Flannery O’Connor’s short stories, “The Life You Save My Be Your Own” was originally published in O’Connor’s short story collection, A Good Man Is Hard to Find. HarperPerennial Classics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.
