Reinhold Niebuhr on Tragedy, Irony, and Politics
23 Pages Posted: 20 Aug 2009
Date Written: August 18, 2009
Abstract
In arguing for the continuing relevance of realism, some of its defenders maintain that at its core realism is about learning to think tragically. The Christian realism of Reinhold Niebuhr, while taking seriously the persistence of the tragic, argues instead for 'irony' as the more appropriate lens to use in the interpretation of history and politics. From the standpoint of both faith and experience, Niebuhr's ironic stance affirms the goodness of existence and that one does not have to do evil that good may come.
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