Connections and disjunctions in the dialogue between the novel and philosophy: wisdom of uncertainty, truth and freedom

The aim of this article is to analyze some aspects of the relationship between novel and philosophy from the ideas of Czech novelist Milan Kundera and the American philosopher Richard Rorty. First, it shows that the advent of modern times can be attributed not only to Descartes, but also to Cervantes. From this perspective, the notion of novel as wisdom of uncertainty is evident to counteract obsessive philosophical quest for absolute truth. Finally, from the contemporary discussion about the social functions of theory and narrative, we highlight that most of the relevant social changes are mainly caused by the sensitivity and literary imagination, rather than by philosophical argument.