grand narrative

English

Noun

grand narrative (plural grand narratives)

1. (critical theory) A metanarrative; a narrative that provides legitimation of some, given set of narratives and that is itself self-legitimising.
   • 1991 [Routledge], David Bernstein, 7: Grand Narratives, David Wood (editor), On Paul Ricoeur: Narrative and Interpretation, 2002, Reprint, Taylor & Francis (Routledge), page 102,

     Grand narratives, or meta-narratives as they are sometimes called, are second-order narratives which seek to narratively articulate and legitimate some concrete first-order practices or narratives. Typically, a grand narrative will make reference to some ultimate originating principle or ultimate telos; it will seek to place existing practices in a position of progress toward or regress from the originating principle or ultimate end.

   • 2006, Philip Higgs, Jane Smith, Rethinking Truth, 2nd edition, Juta & Co., page 115:

     A grand narrative can be defined as a grand, unifying theory of life. Grand narratives include speculative theories as diverse as Christianity (human history is part of a grand divine plan), liberalism (human history and human society are inexorably moving towards the creation of a rational, enlightened society), capitalism (human history is to be seen as an overall thrust towards increasing creation and accumulation) and, of course, Marxism (human history is caught up in a conflict that will eventually lead to the formation of a classless society). Lyotard sometimes refers to grand narratives as "speculative apparatus".

   • 2018, I. W. N Jones, T. E. Levy, “Chapter 1: Cyber-archaeology and Grand Narratives: Where Do We Currently Stand?”, in Thomas E. Levy, Ian W. N. Jones, editors, Cyber-Archaeology and Grand Narratives: Digital Technology and Deep-Time Perspectives on Culture Change in the Middle East, Springer, page 9:

     While the place of Marxian—and, by extension, Childean—thinking was debated among scholars with differing views of postmodernism, Marxism was generally viewed with some skepticism, particularly due to its reliance on grand narratives (Rosenau 1992: 160−164). […] This revival of interest in long-term change and grand narratives has been quite productive.

Translations

metanarrative — see metanarrative

Translations

• French: grand récit (fr), métarécit
• German: Meistererzählung, Metanarrativ