Counter Self-Narration: A Creative-Imaginative Practice of Resistance

Self-narration, many philosophers assume, is an important practice for self-understanding and meaning-making. However, self-narration does not occur in an ideologically neutral space, but is constrained by master plots in the cognitive-affective niche. Master plots can be understood as narrative templates that perpetuate and reinforce cultural imperialism and other forms of structural oppression. By doing so, they harm the meaning-making practices of self-narrators who are already targets of structural oppression due to their (intersectional) socio-cultural identities. However, agents can actively resist master plots by creating counter self-narratives that give new narrative structure and form to autobiographically remembered personal past events and experiences. While much progress has been made in understanding the phenomenological and epistemological characteristics of counter self-narration, at least two questions have remained unanswered. The main aim of this article is to start answering these questions. The how question seeks to clarify which component processes and capabilities are minimally required for the manifestation of counter self-narration. The present article addresses this question by arguing that counter self-narration is best understood as a creative-imaginative practice of resistance. The what-for question seeks to identify key cognitive-affective purposes of counter self-narration. The answer to this question is that creative-imaginative practices of counter self-narration can contribute to the actualisation or affirmation of a sense of epistemic agency and autonomy. However, what happens if counter self-narratives are opposed or rejected? This problem of uptake is discussed by considering victim blaming as an important example of the ideological absorption of counter self-narratives.