Philosophical underpinnings of the narrative turn in theory and fiction

I argue here that the narrative turn does not pertain only to theoretical discourse but is a broader cultural phenomenon, particularly perceptible in twentieth-century French literature but not exclusive to it. It is characterized by acknowledging not only the cognitive but also the existential relevance of narrative for our being in the world; I hence propose conceptualizing it as a shift towards a hermeneutically-oriented understanding of narrative’s ontological significance and of subjectivity as being constituted in a process of narrative interpretation that takes shape in a dialogical relation to socio-culturally mediated models of sense-making. By analyzing the epistemological, ontological and ethical aspects of this turn, I attempt to provide an overview of its main philosophical dimensions