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Narration and Fuzzy Logic

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Telling to Understand

Abstract

In this chapter the integrative property of narrative comprehension is explored, consisting in connecting the paradigmatic and syntagmatic axes of logic and language. Narrative thought is situated in the world of psycho-logic more than logic, a world in which paradigmatic and syntagmatic axes are partially confused and the boundaries are fuzzy. In it, people don not often use logic to solve their problems, but rather, the rules of thumb, and apply a completely different logic of a nonbivalent nature. Many examples of fuzzy concepts are shown such as that of disfrasismo or post-formal logic, and of course stories. In them there is space and movement for processes and categories that are discontinuous but also continuous, paradigmatic and syntagmatic at the same time, because they must represent infinite states of the world. Taleb’s criticism against narrative is discussed and by means of this discussion it is the nature of both everyday narrative reasoning and more refined and elaborated narrative logic is emphasized. This analysis shows how narrative comprehension is a powerful, adaptable and creative means of giving meaning to the other’s speech.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    These are concepts, conceived with the advice of scholars of the Sorbonne in Paris, the result of the encounter between the notions of bathroom and those of people who make philosophy. Moral baths, hammams of thought, ethical baths can be defined as a type of “philosophical pool,” a large wooden pool with 25,000 black plastic balls on which philosophical aphorisms are engraved. The artistic collective that created it (L’amicale de production) wants to invite the public to reflect and concentrate, to feel in harmony with others and the world, through meditation. In this “hammam of thought,” the public can immerse themselves and be slowly pervaded by aphorisms. The baths are conceived as an “ethical” pool where it is possible to develop a philosophical reflection, immersing oneself and reading these text bubbles (the writer is not aware of the results of these inventions).

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Smorti, A. (2020). Narration and Fuzzy Logic. In: Telling to Understand. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43161-7_10

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