Abstract

Stories have a significant relevance in Martha Nussbaum’s career and biography. They are closely related to the author’s philosophical concerns and to her engagement towards human development. This article examines the link between those elements, and digs into the relevance of narrative imagination and the emotional development that expands the boundaries of the self. These emotions, as well as literary imagination, are key elements in order to promote a just social order that respects fundamental freedoms. They also show the way towards citizenship education that is needed in our interdependent and globalized world. _Received_: 25 July 2016 _Accepted_: 30 November 2016 _Published online_: 11 December 2017.