Textual and cross-textual identity of fictional entities philosophical papers

Abstract

This paper defends creationism about fictional entities against the charge that it is inadequate in accounting for the numerical identity of fictional entities across various literary works. It argues that creationism, in its traditional and moderate versions, rests on a  misinterpretation of the data on the creation of fictional entities. The paper, therefore reinterprets the background data in the creationist‟s account in explaining the appropriate role of storytellers in the creation of fictional entities. According to the new interpretation, fictional entities are constructs from the propositions used to ascribe properties to them by storytellers. Hence, creationism is able to accommodate the idea of numerical identity of fictional entities within textual and cross-textual contexts, thus showing the inappropriateness of the moderate creationist‟s proposal of transfictional inclusion, and strengthening the proposal that numerical identity explains the proper relation between fictional entities across various literary works.