Narrative Identity as a Condition for Authentic Legal Subjectivity

This book argues that omitting the component of narrative creates an irresolvable antinomy concerning the identity of the subject: between the subject and identical copies of itself in different situations, or between it and the identical subject as a substantial illusion, the elimination of which reveals the pure multitude of desires, emotions, and perceptions.
The starting point of the considerations presented here is the conviction that knowledge of one’s own desires and preferred values is obtained by articulating a narrative identity through social interactions and mutually determined moral horizons that presuppose shared meanings and the possibility of consensus. The book emphasizes the significance of personal narration and identity formation, but also points out that collective narrative, which is culturally and traditionally rooted, is also one’s own narrative. It focuses on the issue of identity, which is discussed today in numerous contexts, and the understanding of which, according to the author, has important consequences, including: for the legal aspects of our lives, as it concerns, for example, the rights of LGBTQ+ people or entities marginalized or excluded for various reasons. The titular narrative identity of an authentic legal entity is related to opening ourselves to others, but also to ourselves. The interdisciplinary research perspective adopted in the book combines literary aspects, philosophical, sociological and theoretical-legal considerations with an analysis of the jurisprudence of European tribunals.

1 Introduction.- 2. Modern Interpretations of Identity and the Right to Identity.- 3. Narration and Narrative Identity.- 4. Case Studies of the Story of One’s Own Life.- 5. The Authentic Legal Subjectivity of Human Beings in a Narrative Perspective.- 6. Summary.

Bartosz Wojciechowski is professor at the University of Lodz (Poland), Director of the Center for Theory and Philosophy of Human Rights, Editorial Board member of international journals, international expert in the EU-funded project “Pravo-Justice” (European Justice for Ukraine), principal investigator in the research project by the Polish and Lithuanian National Councils of Science “Constitutional Consciousness as a Remedy for the Crisis of Discourse and Democracy Deficit in the European Union” (2019 – 2023), with University of Vilnius, member of the Division of Legal Language of the Council of Polish Language at the Polish Academy of Science (since 2023). He is a judge in the Supreme Administrative Court (since 2015) and has published and coedited several books.