| In this dissertation I present a normative view that connects narrative self-conceptions, ethics---i.e., morality strictu sensu and conceptions of the good life---and literature. First, I claim that moral agents who have an inclination to organize (and reflect upon) their lives in a holistic fashion should take up a narrative outlook or narrative self-conception. I argue that a narrative self-conception (i.e., a reflective conception of oneself that involves regarding one's life as a whole, in which the different parts are meaningful primarily insofar as they are integrated into a unified life-story) can help moral agents clarify, and live by, their normative commitments. Also, it can broaden the range of dispositions and actions available to moral agents by helping them redescribe (and thus change) their motivational makeup. In this context, I discuss the value of narratives (or stories) for agents who take up a narrative self-conception.;Then, I focus on a particular kind of narrative---literary narratives---and a particular kind of value---moral value. I claim that literary reading enhances moral deliberation, judgment and action. For one thing, literary reading nurtures the moral agent's imaginative and empathetic capacities, which in turn enhance moral action. For another, literary characters and situations can have an important role as exemplars in moral deliberation and judgment.;Lastly, I show how my view on narrative self-conceptions and my view on literary reading relate to each other. Roughly, I argue that a person inclined to take up a narrative self-conception should read literature because of three reasons. First, literary reading offers agents a good model on which to fashion their narrative self-conceptions. Second, literary reading builds up the lexical and conceptual repertoire of agents, which in turn enables them to expand and enhance the possibilities of redescription of their moral-psychological makeup. Lastly, moral agents, inclined as they are ex hypothesi to care about morality, will be interested in pursuing an activity (i.e., literary reading) that enhances moral action. |
