Presentation Type
Paper
Abstract
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.
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.