The recognition of the sacred in theories of possible worlds: some hermeneutic orientations

Abstract

This article addresses the question of the possibilities for the recognition of the sacred in theories of possible worlds, an area which has not been explicitly developed but that has important consequences based on each author’s underlying notion of “world”. The study will focus on three representatives of the logical-analytical current (Ryan, Albaladejo and Doležel) and on three other authors who take a phenomenological-existential approach (Eco, Pavel and García-Noblejas). Despite the systematic clarity of the model of analysis applied by the former authors, their fundamental understanding of reality may inhibit the identification of the sacred as “real”. Although the existential current is a priori more disposed to recognize the sacred, a more systematic approach in their analysis is required for the identification and thematization of the sacred. The present paper examines the theoretical presuppositions of each approach in recognizing the sacred within narrations, as an element in the salvation or perdition of fictional characters, which is essential for a full understanding of both the sapiential value of fiction and the meaning of many works of fiction. To conclude, the paper offers a series of observations to assist in the systematization of the study of the sacred in possible fictional worlds.

Keywords

• fiction
• possible worlds
• profane
• reality
• sacred