Contolled irony in Kierkegaard’s thought: aspects of outwardness and inwardness

Abstract

Søren Kierkegaard, alongside Socrates, is correctly considered one of the most famous practitioners of irony in the history of Western literature. However, in contrast to Socrates, Kierkegaard used irony not only as a practice of philosophy, but also developed a theory of irony, which showed how irony can play a positive role in ethics and individual formation. The article discusses Kierkegaard’s concept of controlled irony and modes of applying it in communication and existence.