David J. Herman

This project explores the relevance of theories of narrative for research on the mind, while reciprocally using ideas from the cognitive sciences (including philosophy of mind, linguistics, psychology, and other fields) to enrich current-day understandings of narrative. The project thus has a twofold purpose: to show how humanistic research provides a context for examining the implications of ongoing studies of mind and intelligence; and conversely, to demonstrate how humanistic scholarship can benefit from closer engagement with recent developments in the cognitive sciences. In pursuit of both of these goals, the project uses stories presented in a variety of media to explore mental capacities and dispositions that provide grounds for--or, conversely, are grounded in--narrative experiences.