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Narrative imagination and taking the perspective of others

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Abstract

Narrative imagination, as MarthaNussbaum (1996) discusses it, is ``the abilityto be an intelligent reader of another person'sstory'', an ability tied to being a democraticand cultivated world citizen, one whounderstands the lives of others. Narrativeimagination does not only need knowledge andlogical reasoning but also love and compassion.This article argues that in order to be agenuine tool for democracy, narrativeimagination and consciously taking theperspective of others has to be based on anunderstanding of humans as basicallypluralistic, as homines aperti. Criticalexamination and reflection should be broughtcloser to the lives we live and confront ourhabits and implicit values in order tocultivate us as humans so that we are genuinelyaffected and touched.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. SKL Stockholm Institute of Education, SE-100 26, Stockholm, Sweden

    Moira von Wright

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  1. Moira von Wright
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von Wright, M. Narrative imagination and taking the perspective of others. Studies in Philosophy and Education 21, 407–416 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1019886409596

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