THE FOUNDATIONS AND ROLE OF IRONY IN MODERN PHILOSOPHICAL PRACTICE
Philosophical practice, which is a new (since the 1980s) direction in philosophy, revives the ancient traditions of the connection between philosophy and life. A practicing philosopher appears as a guide, showing an individual or a group the path of self-knowledge and search for truth. One of the forms of modern philosophical practice, along with philosophical consultation and philosophical partnership, is Socratic dialogue. In the ancient tradition, irony was considered part of a sage’s arsenal, and was determined by ontological, ethical and aesthetic grounds. The purpose of this article is to comprehend the philosophical foundations of Socratic irony in the context of modern philosophical practice. The scientific novelty of the study is determined by the analysis of the modern significance of Socrates’ picaresque irony for philosophical practice. As a result, the authors determine the theoretical and practical meanings of irony for the development of philosophical practice.