Comparison of the paradigmatic and narrative modes of thought
| Paradigmatic mode | Narrative mode | |
|---|---|---|
| Quest | To identify or adhere to universal truth conditions | To connect disparate events and information into a meaningful whole |
| Organising scheme | Categorical: emphasising relations such as member-to-category and instance to general class | Temporal: emphasising consequential connections between specific events or ideas. Part-to-whole relations |
| Causal device | Logic: propositions and timeless abstractions (eg, ‘if X then Y’) | Plot: temporal sequences, involving interconnected actions and intentionality (eg, ‘The king died and then the queen died of grief’) |
| Focus | Extensive: sacrifices specificity and detail for generality | Intensive: sacrifices generality for deep understanding of specifics |
| Handling of context | Context-free | Context-sensitive |
| Flexibility | Low: cannot easily accommodate variability, contingency, anomaly, and uncertainty | High: can easily accommodate variability, contingency, anomaly, and uncertainty |
| Mode of production | Systematic abstraction | Situated interaction, relying on the inter-subjective experience of narrator and audience |
| Criteria for evaluation | Verification: proof against falsification | Verisimilitude: true based on (conceivable) experience |
| Tools | Taxonomies, lists, and standard operating procedures | Stories |