Philosophical Investigations on Fiction and Communication : New Insights into Understanding, Learning and Communication

Abstract

This dissertation develops a theory for solving philosophical problems of fiction. Truth and reference are problematic concepts in relation to fictive characters and to fictional objects in general. The solution offered is from the point of view of the deflationary conception of truth, and the use a theory of meaning following Paul Horwich and Ludwig Wittgenstein. The resulting theory, the minimalist theory of fiction (MTF), is applicable to different areas of communication since it is based on general theories of meaning and truth. For this reason, the dissertation consists not only of a philosophical theory on fiction but also of practical applications of this theory. Through this interdisciplinary approach, besides giving new insights into several philosophical and practical problems of different dimensions of communication, MTF indirectly shows arguments in favour of its background theories. This approach means that this dissertation is not particularly about defending the use theory of meaning and minimal theory of truth, but rather showing the benefits of using them to offer solutions to different dimensions of communication.

These dimensions are investigated in five articles. One is solely about the philosophical problems of fiction. The second concerns special education and drama education. The third investigates the use of the concept of truth in literary theory, whereas the fourth and fifth articles discuss the philosophical grounds of the psychological theory of integrative complexity, and its practical application, the IC Thinking method.