Exploring Fictional Truth

Christian Folde

doi:10.5771/9783465145622

Summary

There are ghosts. At least, in "Hamlet" there are. This is an example of a fictional truth, of something true in a fiction. Or so it seems. For, once we broaden our view to all kinds and realms of fiction our ordinary notions are challenged, and intriguing philosophical questions arise. Are there really any fictional truths? How can they be determined? Is everything just interpretation? Can anything be fictional? Could you be part of a fiction? Et cetera. The philosophical literature on fiction typically focusses on the semantics of fictional discourse and the ontology of fictional objects. In contrast, this study explores the nature of fictional truth by analyzing its conceptual structure and by unfolding some of its most important conceptual connections. After reviewing the field and identifying core elements that any theory of fictional truth must accommodate Christian Folde investigates several interrelated issues central to the on-going debates. Building on a clear account of fictional content and a wealth of examples the author offers novel solutions to various problems at the intersection of fictional truth, interpretation, and narration. The book thereby makes contributions to aesthetics, metaphysics and literary theory, among other things, and is thus both of philosophical and interdisciplinary value.

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Bibliographic data

Copyright year: 2021
ISBN-Print: 978-3-465-04562-5
ISBN-Online: 978-3-465-14562-2
Publisher: Klostermann, Frankfurt am Main
Series: Studies in Theoretical Philosophy
Volume: 10
Language: English
Pages: 152
Product type: Book Titles

Titelei/Inhaltsverzeichnis No access Pages I - XVI
1. 0.1. What I Do and Why It Matters No access
2. 1. 0.2.1. Fiction No access
  2. 0.2.2. Metafictional Discourse and Fictional Objects No access
3. 1. 0.3.1. Some Structure No access
  2. 0.3.2. Lewis No access
  3. 0.3.3. Currie No access
  4. 0.3.4. Walton No access
  5. 0.3.5. Coda No access
4. 1. 0.4.1. Interpretation No access
  2. 0.4.2. Narration No access
5. 1. 0.5.1. Main Results No access
  2. 0.5.2. Methodology No access
1. 1.1. Introduction No access
2. 1.2. Preliminaries No access
3. 1. 1.3.1. Explicitism No access
  2. 1.3.2. Nihilism No access
4. 1. 1.4.1. Modality No access
  2. 1.4.2. Serial Fiction No access
5. 1.5. Conclusion No access
1. 2.1. Introduction No access
2. 2.2. Preliminaries and Puzzle Cases No access
3. 1. 2.3.1. Misfiring Speech Acts No access
  2. 2.3.2. Unreliable Narration No access
  3. 2.3.3. Dependence No access
4. 1. 2.4.1. Genre No access
  2. 2.4.2. Liao’s Account No access
  3. 2.4.3. My View No access
  4. 2.4.4. Objections No access
5. 2.5. Conclusion No access
1. 3.1. Introduction No access
2. 3.2. Truth in Fiction No access
3. 3.3. Interpretation No access
4. 3.4. Interdependencies No access
5. 3.5. Conclusion No access
1. 4.1. Introduction No access
2. 1. 4.2.1. Understanding the HD-view No access
  2. 4.2.2. Transfer to Interpretation No access
3. 1. 4.3.1. Føllesdal and Ibsen No access
  2. 4.3.2. Göttner and Walther No access
4. 1. 4.4.1. Strictness No access
  2. 4.4.2. Scope No access
  3. 4.4.3. Confirmation No access
  4. 4.4.4. Mood and Mode No access
  5. 4.4.5. Further Criticism No access
  6. 4.4.6 A Dilemma No access
5. 4.5. Conclusion No access
1. 1. 5.1.1. Aboutness and Surrogates No access
  2. 5.1.2. In Defense of Commonsense No access
  3. 5.1.3. Objections No access
2. 1. 5.2.1. Some Fundamental Tenets of Narratology No access
  2. 5.2.2. Rejections No access
  3. 5.2.3. Objections No access
3. 5.3. Conclusion No access
References No access Pages 141 - 152