Between Fallibilism and Arrogance An Epistemological View of Hegel's Analysis of "Irony"

In this paper I reconstruct Hegel's famous critique of irony by drawing on present-day vice epistemology. I argue that the categories of contemporary theories of epistemic vices are sufficient to classify a type of irony as a vicious stance. Yet they fail to grasp the property in virtue of which irony deserves criticism. I show that, for Hegel, this feature is intellectual pride. In the remainder of the paper, 1 specify the axiological, metaphysical, and epistemological background assumptions which guide the self-assessment of proud persons according to Hegel. Finally, I throw some light on the theoretical presuppositions of Hegel's account of irony and pride.