Do We All Live Story-Shaped Lives? Narrative Identity, Episodic Life, and Religious Experience

Summary

The article examines narrative identity, the idea that people naturally construct life stories to form a sense of self. Critics note that some individuals have an episodic (non-narrative) disposition rather than a diachronic (narrative) one. Analyzing Leo Tolstoy's autobiographical religious experience as presented by William James, the author shows how an episodic person can become diachronic and gain unity and selfhood through religious experience. The conclusion argues that episodic and diachronic dispositions are not mutually exclusive; people may experience their lives in either mode at different times.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This article focuses on exploring the concept of narrative identity, which has emerged as an integrative concept in various academic fields. Particularly in philosophy and psychology, scholars have claimed that humans are storytellers by nature and tell their stories that develop in them a sense of identity. However, this concept has been criticized by those who have argued that while some people are Diachronic (narrative), some are Episodic (non-narrative). People with an episodic disposition do not or are not able to live a narrative or story of some sort. In order to explore the distinction between Diachronic and Episodic dispositions, I analyze the autobiographical writing of Leo Tolstoy, namely Tolstoy’s personal religious experience presented in William James’ “The Varieties of Religious Experience”. This particular case study demonstrates how an Episodic person can become Diachronic and gain a sense of unity and a sense of self through religious experience. In the end, I argue that Episodic and Diachronic dispositions are not mutually exclusive in an individual’s life, but that individuals may at different points in life experience their lives in one manner or another.

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