Unreliable narratives and scepticism: what can we learn from fiction?

Abstract

This thesis investigates whether we can learn from fiction. First, I analyse accounts of how we understand fiction and of the concepts that need to be analysed. Then I look more specifically at accounts that suggest we can learn from works of fiction. I argue that these accounts are unsatisfying and focus instead on a literary device, unreliable narration, from which I argue we can derive a better account of how we learn from fiction. I offer an analysis of a literary device called unreliable narration. Afterwards I suggest that this literary technique can provide a different way of learning from fiction. Finally, I argue that what my analysis of unreliable narration suggests is that through this device, fiction can help us learn and practice scepticism as an epistemic virtue.