Narrative in the Context of Explanatory Strategies: the Political Science Case

This article is devoted to the exposition of significant moments in the formation of the concept of political narratives in the context of the rivalry of various philosophical and methodological approaches. The author aims to determine what valuable, in the methodological sense, was not only acquired but also lost along the way, as well as what opportunities for the development of political narrative concepts are visible in this regard. To achieve this goal, the author uses the method of comparative analysis of scientifi c concepts. The article emphasizes that it is necessary to distinguish, on the one hand, the study of political narratives using positivist-structuralist methods, and on the other hand, the philosophical and literary approach, which sees in the narrative a way of understanding politics as such. An example of the latter is Hayden White’s concept of emplotment in connection with his other “explanatory” strategies. The author concludes that, for all its merits, a Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) relies on a pragmatic and simplified
version of the structuralist concept of narrative, leaving aside several productive ideas related to poststructuralist interpretations of narrative discourse.