As I understand it, "irony" was originally a literary term wherein the actual meaning turns out to the be opposite of the apparent meaning. It's a kind of twist or reversal like the kind you see in the myth of Oedipus. This meaning of the term is then extended more broadly so that it refers to analogous reversals or opposed meanings. When a person angrily denounces anger, for example. It would be correct to call that a performative contradiction, but it would also be right to say it was ironic. You're saying "don't be angry with words" even while you are doing exactly that. In that sense, the apparent meaning contradicts the actual meaning or the larger meaning.
> From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Date: Sun, 31 Jul 2011 13:28:26 -0500 > Subject: Re: [MD] Straw Men and the Primacy of Trust > > > Hi, Michael R. Brown, > > I think I have to differ with you on that particular use of the term > "irony" (of which history has thrown up many uses, and as a budding > literary critic, I have some professional horses in the game). The > inconsistency you performed (or, at least, I saw as being performed) > was of a particular kind: an inconsistency between word and deed. > Irony, at its most basic level, is typically defined as "saying one thing > and meaning another." What I saw happening was of the form > "saying one thing and doing another." As sayings are particular > kinds of doings, I don't think its a misuse to say that one's actions > can be ironic, though the cases of these ironies are typically > unintentional, and so more like tragic irony (also an old, established > form). > > Not to need to be too right about it, > > Matt > > > From: [email protected] > > To: [email protected] > > Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2011 19:37:08 -0700 > > Subject: Re: [MD] Straw Men and the Primacy of Trust > > > > Hi, Matt Kundert - > > > > I'll enjoy reading through your recommended writings in a bit. > > > > There's no irony whatsoever. Modern misuse of the term. You mean > > inconsistency, and there's not: I'm, just as you said, from the outside, > > coming in anew, and goggling a bit at what there is to see. > > > > > > MRB > > http://www.fuguewriter.com > > > > Moq_Discuss mailing list > > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > > Archives: > > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > > http://moq.org/md/archives.html > > Moq_Discuss mailing list > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > Archives: > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > http://moq.org/md/archives.html Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org/md/archives.html
