Do We All Live Story-Shaped Lives? Narrative Identity, Episodic Life, and Religious Experience

The concept of narrative identity—the idea that humans are natural storytellers who develop a sense of self through life stories—has been criticized by those who distinguish between Diachronic (narrative) and Episodic (non-narrative) dispositions. This article examines the autobiographical writing of Leo Tolstoy, focusing on his personal religious experience as presented in William James' "The Varieties of Religious Experience." The case study shows how an Episodic person can become Diachronic, gaining a sense of unity and self through religious experience. The author argues that Episodic and Diachronic dispositions are not mutually exclusive; individuals may experience their lives in either manner at different points in life.

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Abstract

This article focuses on exploring the concept of narrative identity, which has emerged as an integrative concept in various academic fields. Particularly in philosophy and psychology, scholars have claimed that humans are storytellers by nature and tell their stories that develop in them a sense of identity. However, this concept has been criticized by those who have argued that while some people are Diachronic (narrative), some are Episodic (non-narrative). People with an episodic disposition do not or are not able to live a narrative or story of some sort. In order to explore the distinction between Diachronic and Episodic dispositions, I analyze the autobiographical writing of Leo Tolstoy, namely Tolstoy’s personal religious experience presented in William James’ “The Varieties of Religious Experience”. This particular case study demonstrates how an Episodic person can become Diachronic and gain a sense of unity and a sense of self through religious experience. In the end, I argue that Episodic and Diachronic dispositions are not mutually exclusive in an individual’s life, but that individuals may at different points in life experience their lives in one manner or another.