THE MORALITY OF IRONY: HEGEL AND MODERNITY · THE MORALITY OF IRONY: HEGEL AND MODERNITY* Juliane Rebentisch ( Å , Offenbach am Main) This essay reconsiders the role of irony in

THE MORALITY OF IRONY: HEGEL AND MODERNITY* Juliane Rebentisch ( , Offenbach am Main)

This essay reconsiders the role of irony in the Hegelian project of developing a theory of modern ethical life. It recognizes in Socratic irony the traces of an alternative concept of morality that leads both to an acknowledgement of Hegel’s convincing critique of the Kantian moral principle and to a rejection of Hegel’s misconception of Socratic and Romantic irony. Arguing against Hegel that irony cannot be reduced to a form of alienation from the normative di-mension of ethical life as a whole, but should instead be understood as a necessary component of a dynamic mediation between subjec-tive freedom and ethical universality, the author further claims that irony, thus conceived, takes on the productive function that it should actually have had within the Hegelian system. That is, irony is a phenomenon that, from the standpoint of morality, refers us to a form of ethical life in which subjective freedom and difference are respected.

Philosophy of Right.1 om associated

* Willkür. Freiheit und Gesetz II, – 1 Werke in zwanzig Bänden

Grundlinien der Philosophie des Rechts – Elements of the Philosophy of Right –sections, common to both editions—

5 - Rebentisch - The Morality of Irony_FINAL_layout_proofed.pdf 1 3/28/2013 1:24:28 PM

The Morality of Irony

Philosophy of Right 2 3

level of

2 —

Antigone in the Phenomenology Philosophy of Right—see Tragödie im

Sittlichen. Gerechtigkeit und Freiheit nach Hegel 3 Philosophy of Right

Diacritics – – Willkür. Freiheit und Gesetz II, (ed.) J. –

Symposium,

I. The Beginning of Morality in Socratic Irony

4 t

Ibid.) —as the content o —

of self —4 Werke, vols. Vorlesungen über die Geschichte der Philosophie nd F. Hegel’s Lectures on the History of Philosophy

Werke, then to


—i.e.

5 —and this distinction has —

diff — to enta

—a confusion true but

5 —geistige —[geistige

Symposium,

—in

Geist—

mination of — — II. Socrates’ Divisive Work

—


e.

—and these can of vis the –—

s famous dictum—that —Ibid.

Ibid.)

——

Symposium,

The Clouds.6 the assault on 7

Ibid.i —— daimon —a —theless indivi

daimon

6 The Clouds, (ed., The Clouds

— 7 Ibid. –


consci fate as

not 8—

both sides lose— single

individual8 because this

unbefangene Sitte– –

Symposium,

them

distinction bet III. Irony and the Practice of Truth


—9 ——actuall

9 Sprachphilosophie: Eine Vorlesung –

Symposium,

10 11

always already mediated in ethical life. ——

10 Negative Dialektik, in his Gesammelte Schriften Negative Dialectics 11 Sittlich-keit

sittlich Sittlichkeit

Sollen and Sein Hegel (Ca


tion to cted

—– 12

— on— —

12 accident of a selfMic

Hegels Philosophie des Rechts. Die Theorie der Rechtsformen und ihre Logik –

Symposium,

f a one ——— —

constitutive elements.

IV. Hegel’s Critique of Kant

Philosophy of Right on

Philosophy of Right ——


13

14 be

—

15 tian self

obvious 13

Werke Jenaer Schrif-– . 14 Critique of Practical Reason, in Practical Philosophy J.

15 –

Symposium,

16

never evaluatiti in —and this is a a 17

de facto not 16

Erläuterungen zur Diskursethik connecthem. - und demokratietheoretische Überlegungen im Anschluß an Kant 17


— —ethical life.18 l

— —

V. A Socratic Reformulation of the Moral Principle

— —come into

conce hat the 18 s in this

Symposium,

situation—

19 —

i.e., — s me—— —one

——— tout court —e.g. — 20 mi

determinate

pace

19 Ethik und Dialog. Elemente des moralischen Urteils bei Kant und in der

Diskursethik 20 ibid., –


— —i.e., fu—21

ve the 22

this like this oneof modes of action idomain of appli-

cation smaller the more precisely indetermi-

nate universal 23 —— power of judgement 24 — l 25 —

21 ibid. – 22 Ibid. 23 Ibid., 24 Ibid. 25 ibid.

Symposium,

—as is —

26 27 become a un

28

—

26 ibid.

ibid. – 27 ibid. 28 Leiden an Unbestimmtheit. Eine Reaktualisierung der Hegelschen Rechtsphilosophie


self — —

—it ——

—pace ——on the one side, the —

VI. Romantic Irony and Evil

Symposium,

—even if

—— n them, the

Phenomenology of Spirit e n

selfverkehrte

29 29 Werke Phänomenologie des Geistes Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit


30

Sachesatisfaction (Selbstgenuß). (Ibid e

ethical life. 31

32 of the ethical—— – –

30 Hegel-Studien, vol. 31 Hegels Kritik der Romantik 32 Werke, vols. Vorlesungen über die Ästhetik Aesthetics: Lectures on Fine Art

Werke

Symposium,

—

—i.e.

indifferent


33) decide

34 on in self divine

—

s, in

33 Kreation und Depression. Freiheit im gegenwärtigen Kapitalismus– – 34 aus dem

Kritische Schriften und Fragmente – , Studienausgabe in sechs Bänden

Symposium,

solely

ions

because self

question

35 ust include a consciousness of —that is, a co35

Sich bestimmen lassen. Studien zur theoretischen und praktischen Philosophie ––


—

VII. Con licts ith and in Morality

—i.e. —does not, in and of self

m. Consciou 36

within 36 Sich bestimmen lassen, – – –

Responsibility and Judgement – –

Symposium,

self detEntzweiung) oitself—

account of the self —a self— selves. —i.e.be —— ad

—


— that —i.e., as —

37 —

cons —even —37

Ethik und Dialog –

Symposium,

—pace pace —

account of the ineliminable 38

38 Tragödie im Sittlichen


viduals [die Einzelnen

that itself— —

39

—

39 t at the same

Symposium,

qua s— [email protected]

Documents

THE MORALITY OF IRONY: HEGEL AND MODERNITY · THE MORALITY OF IRONY: HEGEL AND MODERNITY* Juliane Rebentisch ( Å , Offenbach am Main) This essay reconsiders the role of irony in