The experience of evil and the goodness of literature : an adornian critique of metaphysical assumptions in post-metaphysical thinking

Abstract

After the so called fall of the Grand Narratives, there has been an increased philosophical interest in literature. In short, literature has been considered to contain a kind of knowledge, or truth, that analytical philosophical thinking lacks. An illustrative and handy example of this position can be found in the essay «Narrating Evil: A Postmetaphysical Theory of Reflective Judgment» by María Pía Lara. Her essay is an attempt to answer the question why «stories seem to offer a better approach to evil than abstract or formal theories»1 . Behind this question lies the observation that narratives, unlike abstract philosophical systems or theological dogmas, can do justice to the singular experience, for example the experience of the concentration camps of World War Two. In that sense, every narrative harbors a unique experience, every story seems to bring something new this is what Lara calls «the power of storytelling».