The Human Significance and Pitfalls of Non-Literal Narrative and Fictional Literature

Following some attention to Plato’s famous (or infamous) hostility to poetry and other arts in such dialogues as Ion and Republic, this paper argues that this may have turned largely upon some failure to appreciate the different human purposes of literal and figurative language and narratives. Rather than seeking to extend the reach of (empirical and other) human knowledge, the concern of non-literal or metaphorical tropes and narratives of poetry and other arts lies more with sharpening and enhancing existing experience and perception to the end of deeper vision and insight into human affairs. From this perspective, the fictional constructs of art have much of significance to contribute to human moral and other development. That said, it need not be doubted that much danger lies in store from a fairly common human failure – by which Plato was also probably much exercised – to interpret non-literal, figurative and fictional idioms and narratives in literal terms. This paper sets out to explore these matters with particular regard to religious and other cultural beliefs.