Ambivalent Wisdom as the Fruit of Reading

It can be said that literary texts do not have any obligation to reality, and that literature destabilises our relations to the everyday use of words and to established perspectives. Literature stands in relation to something that cannot be explained or conceptualised, and in this respect it is close to religion. I argue that many of these characteristics of literature are also features of philosophical writing. I concurrently argue that literature is nonetheless connected to reality, and that it aims to say something about our world. I contend that philosophy can benefit from a deeper understanding of the close parallels and similarities between philosophical writing and literature.