Creature Features: Character Production and Failed Explanations in Fiction, Folklore, and Theorizing

Canadian Journal of Philosophy:1-26 (forthcoming)
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Abstract

Fictional realism is the view that creatures of fiction exist. Mythical realism is the view that creatures of myth and mistaken theories exist. Call the combined view “Ecumenical Realism.” We critically evaluate three arguments for Ecumenical Realism and argue they are unsound because fictional storytelling differs from mistaken theorizing in important ways. We think these considerations support a more conservative view, “Sectarian Realism,” which results from subtracting “creatures of mistaken theorizing” from Ecumenical Realism. We close by considering an important challenge to Sectarian Realism involving immigrants in fiction.

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Author Profiles

Chris Tillman
University of Manitoba
Joshua Spencer
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

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References found in this work

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Truth in fiction.David K. Lewis - 1978 - American Philosophical Quarterly 15 (1):37–46.
Scorekeeping in a Language Game.David Lewis - 1979 - Journal of Philosophical Logic 8 (3):339.

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