Prompt: choose a passage from the MacIntyre reading that describes a particular aspect of persons as the subject of a narrative. Quote the passage, explain it, and tell a specific, personal, life experience that illustrates its significance with respect to identity (your identity)
“I am the subject of a history that is my own and no one else’s, that has its own peculiar meaning,” (MacIntyre, The Storytelling Animal).
In this passage MacIntyre is stating that the subject “I” is the main character in their own personal narrative. This narrative is the subjects history, this history is full of all of the experiences and learning opportunities that the subject has gone through. This history is unique to only the subject since it has shaped them into the person they are now and will be in the future; therefore creating its own special meaning to the main subject. This means that under MacIntyre’s philosophy everyone has a meaning and purpose for existing, and that we all have a role to play in life based on our own special history so that we may contribute to something outside of ourselves.
For me the passage I chose stuck out and caught my attention making me feel a “Yes! I agree!!” moment that stuck with me even after I finished reading. I think that my story, in particular, is kind of a special case for MacIntyre’s philosophy since I, personally, cannot remember a lot of my past. I really only know bits and pieces of it and I ask those around me about it with no luck in remembering it; in the end I mainly just end up thinking I do not want to be the embodiment of the experiences that I have blocked out. Even though I am unable to pin point the actions that make me feel this way or am able to remember my entire history I have the capability to know what I should try and stay away from and what I should head towards in order to be the person I want to be. With all things considered, I agree with MacIntyre. I think his philosophy as to how and why people are the way they are is true and it makes sense without beating around the bush. Ones history creates the past and it helps determine ones future as well whether it be good or bad. It is solely up to the owner of the experiences to turn a bad situation into a good one or to let it consume them and become exactly what they went through.
word count: 433
source: https://thinkingbeings.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/storytelling-animal.pdf
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