Poetic Justice

Marijana Kolednjak

doi:10.26142/stgd-2024-018

Published: 2024-12-30

Vol. 55 (2024)

Poetic Justice

Marijana Kolednjak

Gdańsk Studies

Section: Artykuły

https://doi.org/10.26142/stgd-2024-018

Abstract

The famous and respected American philosopher Martha C. Nussbaum explores the role of literature, especially the novel, in shaping moral imagination and ethical judgment. The main thesis of the work is that reading literature contributes to the development of empathy and the ability to see different perspectives, which is essential for fair decision-making in public and political life. Nussbaum argues that the literary imagination is essential to the formation of "just judges" in a democratic society. Novels, in her opinion, allow readers to identify with the characters and their circumstances, thus developing the ability to understand the needs, sufferings and lives of other people. Such empathy empowers morally informed decision-making, which is sensitive to human vulnerability and diversity.

Keywords:

Martha C. Nussbaum, literary imagination, ethical judgment, emotions

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Kolednjak, M. (2024). Poetic Justice. Gdańsk Studies, 55, 93–103. https://doi.org/10.26142/stgd-2024-018

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