Narrative, self and political theory

Stephenson, Susan Jane (1996) Narrative, self and political theory. University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.

Abstract

This thesis seeks to demonstrate that we cannot adequately understand the nature of selfhood without understanding the relation between the self and narrative. This has important implications for political theory since the way in which we think about the self is intimately connected to the approach we take to political thought.

The first chapter of the thesis explores the character of narrative; offers reasons for the current interest in storytelling across a wide range of disciplines; and points out the particular significance of narrative for political theory.

An exploration of the relations between narrative and identity; narrative and meaning; and narrative and justice is then carried out through a critical examination of the work of Charles Taylor, Jean-Francois Lyotard and Hannah Arendt.

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