Irony and ironic thought in the history of philosophy: Delimiting the problem

The argument of the paper is designed to show the irony in philosophy as so mething stimulating critical mind, which is an inherent quality of any phil osophical reflection. The philosophers of the past (Socrates, Schlegel, Kie rkegaard, Marx, Nietzsche) indicate by their work, that the irony might be seen as a sort of "method," preventing the reason, through critical assessm ent of its claims, from schematism of traditional interpretations as delive red by the history of philosophy. Ultimately this attitude means rejecting the so called eternal truths and final solutions and raises the unsoluable question of the end of philosophy itself.