Insight from popular fiction; understanding rather than knowledge

Abstract: People are often recommending popular fiction to each other to provide “insight” into, say, what life is like in a contemporary Jamaican village. But given that such stories are fictional, what does that insight really consist in? In this paper I will argue that such works of fiction can provide understanding, rather than knowledge. I’ll also talk about some things we need to be cautious about with this type of understanding.