In Response to Andrew Bagley (Why does emotion matter in fiction?)

I found Andrew’s blogpost interesting because of the fact that it questions the importance of our discussions this week. I think that it is always good to question the importance of a philosophical debate of which we are trying to provide an answer to. However, I think when it comes to the question of whether emotions are important in works of fiction, this has an easy answer: absolutely.

First, this debate is important within philosophical discussion simply of because of the fact that there is not a perfect explanation to the so-called “paradox of fiction”. This debate is still on-going, and it is truly a problem within the discipline of philosophy that has not been solved. Looking at the paradox, it is does seem very interesting that a fictitious even could elicit strong emotional reactions.

Aside, from the fact that the “paradox of fiction” in itself is an extremely important debate within the discipline of philosophy, I think that it must be acknowledged that the ability of fiction to elicit emotions is essential to the power of fiction as a form of expression. As many have previously stated, works of fiction are often more effective in expressing truths within moral philosophy because fiction is able to elicit emotions better than so-called dry-forms of philosophical writing. Writers of fiction can craft stories that can influence the reader in ways that philosophical treaties cannot accomplish because of the fact that they are able to have a strong effect on the affective component of human beings. Accordingly, I do not think the ability for works of fictions to elicit emotional response to ever be downplayed.