This thesis examines the relationship between the concepts of narrative and self at the intersection of the philosophies of Adriana Cavarero and Richard Kearney. To clarify their perspective, it opens with a historical overview of the concept of self in Western philosophy,
ranging from ancient thinkers to Hannah Arendt and Paul Ricoeur, who provide the theoretical foundation for these two philosophers. This is followed by an outline of their
theoretical frameworks and a comparison of their philosophies, with particular emphasis on Relating Narratives and On Stories. Through this analysis, we show that both philosophers understand identity as fundamentally narrative, stressing that the substantial reality of a lived
life is poured into narrative, and that this identity can only be grasped retrospectively. We investigate the role of the Other in this relationship and the forms of degeneration that can arise from failing to recognise the Other. Furthermore, we argue that the body enters into a reciprocal relationship with the self analogous to that of narrative. Finally, we consider how both philosophers’ reflections on this relationship give rise to an ethical imperative and a
critique of the postmodernist conception of self and narrative.
|