Imagination, Imaginary, Imaginal
Towards a New Social Ontology
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8104810 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Chiara Bottici (New School for Social Research, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2019 |
| Volume | 33 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 433-441 |
| Publication date | 2019-09-03 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Epistemology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0269-1728 • E-ISSN: 1464-5297 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/02691728.2019.1652861 |
| OpenAlex | W2975222607 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 11 |
| References cited | 8 |
The concept of the social imaginary has been introduced as an alternative to theories of the imagination. Whereas the imagination tends to be conceived as a faculty that we possess as individuals, the concept of social imaginary is meant to encompass significations within which individuals are socialized and that thus precede the formation of individuals themselves. To put it bluntly, we could say that, whereas the imagination is a faculty that an individual possesses, the social imaginary is the social context that possesses individuals. In this article, I would like to reconstruct the dilemmas that surround this conceptual couple and argue for a theory of the imaginal as a solution to such dilemmas. In conclusion, I will also argue that the concept of the imaginal is a much more malleable tool in terms of social ontology, because it is able to overcome the social versus individual dichotomy, moving towards an alternative ontology of the transindividual. In a time when social boundaries are being contested by globalization from above and from below, and in which they risk being an outdated tool for social inquiry, the concept of the imaginal is a much more promising tool, whether one decides to embark on an alternative social ontology or not
Context (archaeology · Epistemology · Ontology · Psychoanalysis · Social ontology · Sociology · The Imaginary · Critical Realism in Sociology · Humanities and Social Sciences · Psychology · Social Representations and Identity · Philosophy · Social Psychology
The Consultation Machine
Political Socialization in a Changing Society
“The Local Consultant Will Not Be Credible”
World in the making
Crisis, Privilege, and Lifestyle Migration
You’re not a better person, but you look like you are.’ Hate speech and privilege
The carceral appropriation of communications technology through the imaginal
Conceptualizing a transdisciplinary nexus for addressing complex problems
Reimagining climate futures
Beyond hope and despair
Why the Imaginary Needs the Imagination
| Citations per year | 1.83 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2020 - 2026 (7) |
| Highly cited | No |