Abstract

This investigation is concerned with certain philosophical problems which arise in current discussions about reading fictional literature, and with philosophical problems and themes that arise in literature itself. A number of theories have been offered by philosophers as well as literary critics not only to account for what fiction is, but also as to how appreciation of fiction occurs. The two are related in that how we answer the question "What is fiction?" may bear upon the problem of reading. One of my goals is to show how attitudes towards literature have evolved from philosophic views regarding the nature of, and connection between, language and knowledge. The theories of reading that I will consider are enmeshed in problematic presuppositions about this connection. ;I will also claim that fiction can be a source of insight, and that insight is a form of knowledge. This is a robust claim that will be illuminated by exploring certain works of literature. ;Novelists and other creative writers are often engaged with the same themes that philosophers are. In fact, some fictional works may even present a challenge to a given philosophical theory or view. However, most of the literature I will be examining does not set out to assess or even exemplify the views of particular philosophers, but rather pursues certain themes that authors share in common with philosophers, for instance, questions concerning truth, meaning, appearance and reality. ;I intend to show how certain works of literature offer different approaches to, and expressions of, philosophical themes. I claim not only that literature can expand our scope for thinking about philosophical questions, but more importantly, that it may help us in rethinking them