The importance of the reader.

There was one line from Nussbaum's writing that really impacted me. Before I discuss my thoughts regarding the significance of this line, I should first point out the fact that this line brings up a topic that I find to be one of the essential topics of this seminar; accordingly, I expect to address the gamut of questions related to this topic throughout the semester.

Drawing the analogy between antediluvian dramas and fiction, Nussbaum says,
“To attend a tragic drama was not to go to a distraction or a fantasy, in the course of which one suspended one’s anxious practical questions. It was instead, to engage in a communal process of inquiry, reflection, and feeling with respect to important civic and personal questions.” (15)

This quote immediately answered a question that had been bothering me while I was reading the introduction to Nussbaum’s book; the question of why literature can be a more effective medium for communicating philosophical truths. Although, Nussbaum certainly states the literatures affective influence is a major reason for the effectiveness of this medium (my awkward play on words should provide a good example of the importance of style, or lack thereof). Although I do agree that the impact of emotions is certainly an important impact of literatures effectiveness, I think this is one piece of a larger puzzle.

It seems that literature is often times more effective in communicating truths than so-called dry philosophical writing because of the human component. In other words, literature is powerful because it is superior at engaging the reader compared to other forms of expression. The processes of “inquiry, reflection”, etc., are what I believe to be reason for literatures effectiveness in expressing truths.

"[Reading novels] is the best way to figure out what it feels like to be in someone else's head—and that's what helps us to distinguish our own identity." —John Portmann, professor of religious ethics, University of Virginia

Just from personal experience, I can say that philosophical ideas presented in novels tend to make a larger impact on my views of the world solely based on the fact that I tend to relate the story to my own experiences. Furthermore, this process of relating the story to my own life is what allows me to reflect on the philosophical ideas even further. Suddenly, basic ideas become significantly more powerful because I apply the ideas to my own life. Of course, this process of self-reflection tends to bring in the emotional component as well, but I think that this is only one piece of the entire puzzle. The reader themselves is what I view as the essential reason for the fact that novels are often more effective in conveying philosophical ideas then other forms of writing (at least, I think so).