Is it Good to Conceive of One’s Life Narratively?

Latham, Sally and Pinder, Mark (2023). Is it Good to Conceive of One’s Life Narratively? Philosophia, 51 pp. 2005–2014.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11406-023-00659-4

Abstract

Grace Hibshman has developed a new explanation for why narrative self-conceptions might contribute to one’s flourishing: conceiving of one’s life narratively, she argues, can facilitate an improved self-understanding. In this short paper, we argue that, pace Hibshman, life narratives tend to misrepresent and mislead. So while they may give the impression of an improved self-understanding, that impression is typically mistaken. In this respect, conceiving of one’s life narratively hinders flourishing.

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