The Enduring Need for Literature: Cognitive Benefits and the Prospect of its Disappearance

One would think that defending the usefulness of teaching literature in schools and universities should no longer be a matter of debate. However, with the emergence of new media and technologies such as AI, this discussion resurfaces. This presentation argues that literature will not disappear from educational settings for two main reasons: the scientific evidence demonstrating its impact, and a fictional scenario that warns against its extinction. Numerous empirical studies have shown the wide range of benefits literature has fostered for centuries. One significant finding concerns the persuasive power of fiction reading (Braddock & Dillard, 2016). Research demonstrates that through mechanisms such as narrative absorption (Green, 2021) and character identification (Cohen & Tal-Or, 2017), readers can develop empathy toward outgroup members (Nussbaum, 1990; Walkington, Wigman, & Bowles, 2020). Empathy is an affective skill increasingly crucial in complex societies (Keen, 2007). A second way to understand literature’s value is by imagining a world in which it no longer exists; a context where STEM-focused production is exclusively encouraged and funded. In such a world, novels, short stories, poems, plays, and legends would vanish, revealing the threats posed to culture and thought when literature is neglected. The first major loss concerns innovative record-keeping practices that document aspirations, fears, moral dilemmas, and speculative possibilities. Literature is more than amusement; it is a repository of human emotions, ethics, and political experience; elements that formal sciences cannot capture alone. This presentation argues that literary studies remain essential for cultivating sharp thinking, moral imagination, and collective memory in a rapidly evolving technological world.