The Narrative Condition

Narrative plays an important role in human understanding. Narrative – as an epistemic discipline – is central to how we relate to our own temporality; to the fact that the world, and we, are changing; and to our desire and ability to communicate beyond the immediate. Narrative strategies and communication centres on exactly these three human capacities in the shape of three principles: succession, transformation, and mediation. The unique constellation of these principles into a super principle: the narrative principle constitutes the epistemological basis of narrative. Yet, this basis as it appear in extraordinary variety is completely contingent upon its recognition as a narrative mode of understanding rather then, say, a logical arguments. This contingency forms a condition.