The story continues: The no-negotiable narrative condition of Social Sciences

Abstract

This article examines the premises of the question “Why do the Social Sciences need to tell stories again?” To do so, it reviews the emergence of these sciences in the 19th century in relation to the complexity of modern life that gives rise to them and also in relation to the fictional literature of Europe in that period. The examination then focuses on Systems Theory, as it constitutes a possible cessation of the narration by social scientists. The final reflection recovers the notions of narration and narrativity, whose amplitudes are a condition of possibility for the continuation of the story in the Social Sciences. Likewise, the article ends with a consideration of the meaning of literary creation in relation to the topics addressed in the social field.