Narratives in Cognitive Evolution

doi:10.1017/9781009058193.006

5 - Narratives in Cognitive Evolution

The Importance of Discourse in Meaning-Making Processes

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 November 2021

Maïka Sondarjee

Edited by

Piki Ish-Shalom ,

Markus Kornprobst and

Vincent Pouliot

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Piki Ish-Shalom: Affiliation:
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Markus Kornprobst: Affiliation:
University of Vienna
Vincent Pouliot: Affiliation:
McGill University, Montréal

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Summary

This chapter argues that one of the main lacunae of Emanuel Adler’s cognitive evolution framework is its lack of engagement with discourse as participating in meaning-making processes. It starts with a demonstration of what is arguably the most important contribution of the cognitive evolution framework: a becoming ontology. It then explores how adding narratives as a discursive process of becoming could strengthen this ontology. Cognitive evolution and narratives are complementary because they both rest on a becoming framework, so adding the latter has the potential to strengthen Adler’s theory, as well as its usefulness to guide empirical research. It uses the case of the World Bank and participatory development practices to demonstrate the importance of narrative in cognitive evolution and collective learning processes.

Keywords

Ontological narratives Discourse Meaning Processual ontology World Bank

Information

Type: Chapter
Information: Theorizing World Orders
Cognitive Evolution and Beyond
, pp. 107 - 133

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009058193.006 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2021

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