Meaning of grand narrative | Babel Free

Definitions

A metanarrative; a narrative that provides legitimation of some, given set of narratives and that is itself self-legitimising.

Equivalents

Examples

“1991 [Routledge], David Bernstein, 7: Grand Narratives, David Wood (editor), On Paul Ricoeur: Narrative and Interpretation, 2002, Reprint, Taylor & Francis (Routledge), page 102, Grand narratives, or meta-narratives as they are sometimes called, are second-order narratives which seek⟳ to narratively articulate and legitimate some concrete first-order practices or narratives. Typically, a grand narrative will make⟳ reference to some ultimate originating principle or ultimate telos; it will seek⟳ to place⟳ existing practices in a position of progress⟳ toward or regress from the originating principle or ultimate end⟳.”

“A grand narrative can be defined as a grand, unifying theory of life. Grand narratives include⟳ speculative theories as diverse as Christianity (human history is part of a grand divine plan⟳), liberalism (human history and human society are inexorably moving towards the creation of a rational, enlightened society), capitalism (human history is to be seen as an overall thrust towards increasing creation and accumulation) and, of course, Marxism (human history is caught up in a conflict that will eventually lead⟳ to the formation of a classless society). Lyotard sometimes refers to grand narratives as "speculative apparatus".”

“While the place⟳ of Marxian—and, by extension, Childean—thinking was debated among scholars with differing views of postmodernism, Marxism was generally viewed with some skepticism, particularly due to its reliance on grand narratives (Rosenau 1992: 160−164).[…]This revival of interest⟳ in long-term change⟳ and grand narratives has been quite productive.”

CEFR level