Theory Of Imagination Research Articles

Dialectics of perception and imagination: Embodied politics of atmosphere in Xiqiao Road, Nanjing

In the social media era, scholars tend to reduce the online digital images of cities to readable visual-centric texts dominated by ideologies such as platform capitalism and symbolic consumerism, treating symbols and affects as antagonistic. This study attempts to deconstruct this dichotomy and explain the visual-centric paradigm in digital images from the perspective of affective atmospheres based on an ethnography of 20 participants on Nanjing's Xiqiao Road. Built on atmosphere theory and material imagination theory, we suggest that an embodied politics of atmosphere is constituted by perception and imagination. Perceptions foster a holistic understanding of place among participants through peripheral visions, which is potentially consistent with the logic of online dissemination of digital images. In contrast, material imagination represents the creative pole of the body and establishes a new surface aesthetics of digital images. Faced with visual-centric notions of place in contemporary digital images, illustrating the embodied politics of the affective atmosphere can help motivate people to transcend existing paradigms and experience place through a more creative vision.

Research on the Constructive Narrative Mode of Film based on the Embodied Imagination Theory

Psychoanalytic theory can be used to analyze the narrative mode of the film to explain psychological problems from the perspective of dreams. Based on the theory of embodied imagination, this study uses the text analysis method to analyze the film constructive narrative mode embodied in the film Deep Sea through the case study. The film constructs the sand play narrative space and uses nonlinear narrative techniques to reflect the three major characteristics of the film’s constructive narrative mode based on the theory of embodied imagination: the integration of authenticity and illusion in image construction, the penetration of emotional emergence and the process of image experience, and the realization of healing effects both on and off-screen. In the research process, the advantages and disadvantages of film works are analyzed. The advantages of free narrative logic and immersive movie-watching experience are accompanied by the disadvantages of increasing the threshold of movie-watching and large investment risks. This study provides a reference for the construction of the theoretical system of film constructive narrative mode.

Ancient Sources in Adam Smith’s Theories of Sympathetic Morality and Imagination: Aristotle’s Thought and The Theory of Moral Sentiments

This essay considers the profound influence of Aristotle’s philosophy on Adam Smith’s theories of sympathetic morality and imagination. In particular, it examines how Smith’s theories, often seen as Stoic, align with Aristotelian concepts; also, it analyses Smith’s interpretation of wonder as more than a philosophical catalyst, but also as a force that enhances sensitivity to virtue and informs moral judgement: which is similar to Aristotle’s view of wonder as the genesis of philosophical and scientific inquiry. Consequently, Smith’s understanding of imagination is seen as a transformative cognitive faculty similar to Aristotle’s idea of it as an innate capacity for mental imagery and sensory perception. This juxtaposition underscores the role of the imagination as a creative dynamics that transcends individual perspective and captures the essence of human experience. Smith’s integration of Aristotelian thought represents thus a distinctive and nuanced contribution to the classical legacy within the Scottish Enlightenment, shaping a deeper understanding of moral and philosophical inquiry.

Dancing with BBoy: Transliteracies and critical imagination in superhero storytelling

AbstractIn this article, we describe a year‐long superhero storytelling project we facilitated with youth in a midwestern middle school. In this project, students read Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spiderman , designed superhero stories set in their community, and presented artistic representations of their stories to their families and peers. We present three episodes of mobile storytelling from this project, focusing on Aidan, one of eighteen youth participants. Using tools from theories of transliteracies and critical imagination, we illustrate how Aidan's embodied movement and play constituted critically literate acts. A transliteracies lens oriented toward critical imagination reveals how Aidan fluidly moved between fictional and real worlds to reimagine his experienced realities. These findings indicate a need to expand what counts as literate activity in schools.

An Analysis of Volition and Self-Identity Construction in Ai Qing’s Poem

The Chinese poet Ai Qing (pen name of Jiang Zhenghan) advocated expressing one’s innermost thoughts directly through poetry, and his poems often used straightforward language to convey strong volition. This article examines Ai Qing’s poetry from the perspectives of form and the process of imagination, using Coleridge's theory of imagination and Ai Qing’s own poetic philosophy. It seeks to explore the volition embodied in Ai Qing’s poetry and how he constructs his own identity through poetry. In terms of form, Ai Qing adhered to “the prose beauty of poetry,” expressing the hope to break free from constraints, liberate thoughts, and assert personal will. Through the unconventional imagination process in his poems, Ai Qing reveals the unconscious self-agent of the poet to speak for the people and an active perspective on the interplay between the poet’s self-agent and the external world. It is the combination of poetic form and the creative process of imagination that constructs Ai Qing’s identity as a national poet yearning for freedom, revolution, and yet filled with a sense of concern.

The Clash of Imaginations on the Identity of the Messiah in Luke 7:18−35 in the Perspective of Harari’s Theory of Imagination

From the perspective of Harari’s theory of imagination, the narrative of Luke 7:18−35 displays the clash of imaginations between John and Jesus regarding the identity of the Messiah. It appears that Jesus tries to beat John’s imagination about the identity of the Messiah by lowering the position of John in the Kingdom of God. Clashing with John’s imagination, Jesus builds up the imagination of the Messiah as a figure who presents the Kingdom of God which includes the individual transformation, the transformation of social relationships in the community, the transformation of social structures, and the transformation of the world.

Anthony Vidler (1941-2023)

Abstract On October 19, 2023, we lost Anthony Violer, a longtime friend of this magazine. A brilliant historian of architecture whose deep scholarship and intellectual curiosity ranged from Ledoux to his own contemporaries, Tony was also an astute reader of art and theory, and he was always alert not only to the historical conditions of a given practice but also to its conceptual implications and political ramifications. In manifold ways Tony instructed us, inspired us, committed us, and delighted us with his theatrical imagination and subversive wit.

Creativity in early childhood: how educators from Australia and Italy are documenting the creative thought processes of young children

Creative and critical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making have attracted increasing interest over the last decade as key twenty-first century skills for education. While the Australian Curriculum implies that creativity should be applied to all learning domains, the Early Years Learning Framework for birth to 5 years (EYLF) largely relegates creativity to children’s expression through the creative arts. The world-renowned Reggio Emilia approach places creativity at the centre of its curriculum not as a creative product, but as a cognitive process. This paper draws upon recent research with early childhood teachers from NSW, Australia and Northern Italy who formed sister-centre relationships to share their perspectives on children’s creative thinking. Through email exchange, educators from each country sent three examples of centre documentation they believed demonstrated children’s creative thinking, with an invitation for a response from the sister centre. Vygotsky’s creative imagination theory, Malaguzzi and Rodari’s philosophies of creativity, imagination and education, provide theoretical frameworks to explain the creative processes of children. Findings suggest that the Australian educators in this study demonstrated the practice of responsiveness to children in co-constructing factual knowledge, while the Italian educators focused more on the processes of children’s thinking, with a view of the child as an imaginative and creative being. This paper argues that if creative thinking is an essential skill for lifelong learning, then more attention for how educators in early childhood education contexts are incorporating this into practice is needed.

Constructing a Hellenic modernism: Aeschylus at the ancient theatre of Syracuse (1914–30)

Abstract This article examines the aesthetic means employed in classical performances produced by the Institute of Ancient Drama (INDA) in Syracuse between 1914 and 1930, with a particular focus on performances of Aeschylus’ tragedies. The first part of this study traces the influences of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century modernist and avant-garde movements on the Syracusan project, including the experiments pioneered by the radical French gauche, the German productions directed by Hans Oberländer with Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Mollendorf in the role of dramaturg and translator, as well as Max Reinhardt’s early engagements with ancient Greek drama and his vision of theatre (particularly his Theatre of the Five Thousand). It then discusses the aesthetic trajectory that productions of ancient Greek drama, and more specifically those of Aeschylus’ plays, underwent from INDA’s beginnings in 1914–30, when an all-fascist governing body was installed at its helm.

PHYSICAL THEATER AND THE FORMULA FOR INTERPRETING BODY LANGUAGE CULTURE

The narrative nature of the existence of dramorealism is gradually giving way to more relevant forms of physical theater, which relies on a complex but most understandable language - body language. The total nature of this turn is explained by the reactivity of bodily kinetics in the transmission of emotions, in conveying the meanings of any narrative and cultural subtleties. Body language is the most versatile way of communication that overcomes any language barriers. In physical theater, actors use their bodies as a powerful tool to convey meaning, relying on movement, gestures, and facial expressions to "tell" their stories. The return to linguistic archaism acquires a total character in modern productions. Thanks to the universal kinetics of body language, physical theater becomes understandable to people from different cultures and social strata and promotes deeper communication and mutual understanding between performers and viewers. Body language is a visual informant, inextricably linked to all spheres of human interaction and functioning, ensuring the minimization of information losses in conveying the most complex, and sometimes obscure meanings. The analysis of cross-cultural studies devoted to the phenomenon of body language in physical theater allows us to reveal and evaluate the cultural nuances inherent in this expressive art form. After all, it is known that the same gesture in different cultures can have completely different meanings, so there is a need for a deeper study of the psychology and specifics of non-verbal communication to prevent undesirable critical circumstances for a person. A different order of communication of the physical theater acquires the features of a visual theater, in which the viewer is the main interpreter. An interpreter of a mobile, constantly changing world created within the boundaries of the viewer's vision. Just as it is impossible for any one universal concept or way of thinking to dominate in science, no art form can claim to have complete knowledge of its subject. Hence the need to understand the basics of body language, to understand its role in the overall development of the human community, and theatrical art in particular. In particular, knowledge of such key universals of non-verbal communication as handshake, hand gestures, eye contact, physical contact, head movement, sitting position, etc. effective body language tools.

Staging "Civilization and Enlightenment"—Yi Kwang-su's Kyuhan and the Communicability of Modern Theater Space

Abstract: Under the banner of civilization and enlightenment, new-intellectuals of the early twentieth century sought to challenge damaging past traditions and social practices to give rise to a new era for the people of Korea. Coinciding with this push toward modern progress, the theater simultaneously arose as a new feature of the urban landscape. Writers like Yi Kwang-su stressed the communicative potential of new literary trends. He was one of the earliest to turn to drama as a means of shaping a future Korea; he utilized the palpable realism fostered by stage space as a means to channel his progressive ideas to society. Published in Hakjigwang in 1917, Kyuhan (Sorrows of the Inner Room), potentially Korea's first modern play, is a work that frankly portrays the damages of dated Confucian moralities and traditions. In penning a drama that brings the modern Chosŏn intellectual of Yi's urban audience into a uniquely female space of domesticity, pain and subalternity, the audience becomes privy to the bitter realities of Chosŏn women and the importance of autonomy, education and true love. Through discussions on heterotopic space, spectatorship and the relationship between actor and audience, this study will explore Kyuhan and the birth of the modern stage. In this, we come understand Yi's vision of theater as a new site for enlightenment progress that could shock and provoke the public into action.

«Illusory feelings» as a structural element of the theory of imagination (based on the materials of «The Principles of Art» by R. G. Collingwood)

It is noted that the thorough monograph of the famous English philosopher, historian of science, and art theorist R. G. Collingwood «The Principles of Art» consists of three «books», each of which covers a number of important issues of fundamental importance for history, art theory and cultural studies. From the point of view of time, it can be argued that R. G. Collingwood tried to link the content of the three «parts» of the monograph, emphasizing their overarching idea, i.e. the English scholar’s articulation of the integrity of the time dimensions «past — present». The phenomenon of «integrity» is the basis for harmonizing the theoretical material of all three «components» of the monograph «The Principles of Art». It is emphasized that the problematics of one of the chapters of the second «book», i.e. «The Theory of Imagination» is the basis for this article, which uses the potential of general scientific methods of analysis, such as historicism, systematization, comparison and generalization of the problem under study. The stated methods are based on the principle of a parity approach, which allows taking into account the experience of many humanities, including cultural studies, philosophy, psychology, and art history. It is emphasized that the analysis of both «illusory feelings» and a number of other related issues actualizes the problem of the conceptual and categorical apparatus, generally necessitating the argumentation of new concepts. «The Principles of Art» demonstrates, firstly, R. G. Collingwood’s constant interest in upgrading the means of researching humanitarian knowledge, secondly, his attempts not to destroy the connection between the Greco-Roman tradition of thinking and modern European humanism by preserving the basic conceptual and categorical structures, and thirdly, the constant use of samples of interpretation of «transcultural» concepts in European languages, which greatly complicates the research process of adapting Collingwood’s ideas. The article proposes the author’s model of interpretation of the stated problems but takes into account the experience of R. G. Collingwood in the double operation of certain concepts, which in particular concerns the concept of «illusion», which means both the «illusion of play» and the structural element of the theory of imagination. The historical and philosophical tradition of understanding segments of the heritage of R. Descartes and John Locke is recreated, and the historical and philosophical material is presented based on the principles of a personalized approach, which is defined as the cornerstone of the logic of cultural analysis.

A Study on the Potential of Site-Specific Theatre as Content for Liberal Arts Education

This study proposes a teaching model for liberal arts education utilizing site-specific theater and examines its implications. By exploring various theoretical backgrounds and practical examples related to place-specific theater, the course covers a variety of concepts and deepens students' knowledge of theater. Theoretical explorations are followed by practical activities that encourage creative and critical thinking and provide opportunities to exercise the theatrical imagination. Practical activities provide learners with important experiences that allow them to see everyday spaces in a new light and to extend theater to personal and social meanings. There are also opportunities for students to watch and critique the work of other learners and to reflect on their own work in order to consolidate their knowledge and experience and to acquire new questions. The whole process is an educational one that leads to embodied knowledge. This study argues that theater, especially place-specific theater, is suitable content for liberal arts education, promoting learners' creativity and critical thinking skills, and offering another model of practice.

Imaging emptiness

Abstract Nishitani’s later works, particularly the seminal essay “Kū to soku” and several lectures given at Ōtani University, were devoted to thinking about image and imagination. In this article, I try to reconstruct Nishitani’s theory of imagination in light of these writings. I discuss the role that imagination plays in his philosophical project and how his ideas can contribute to philosophically understanding the phenomenon of imagination itself. The paper starts from Nishitani’s conception of the “elemental imagination”, closely related to Aristotle’s phantasia, from which, according to the Japanese philosopher, artistic and religious images emerge. Since this raises the question of the degree of reality accorded to the imagined and of the cognitive and affective value attributed to artistic and religious images, then the question of the ontology of images in the Greek, Christian and Buddhist traditions, in which the image serves as a means of manifesting the real, is examined. Finally, since Nishitani’s theory of imagination moves between the being and non-being of images, their subjectification and objectification, an attempt is made to situate it with respect to two opposing tendencies in contemporary philosophy, i.e., to recover the ontophanic value of images or to de-ontologize them.

Edgeworth's Romantic Realism: Fact, Belinda , Imagination

Abstract: Maria Edgeworth's Belinda (1800) has long been understood as the author's most straightforwardly "realist" novel. This article troubles that assumption by returning to the author's deep familiarity with Enlightenment moral philosophy, particularly Adam Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759), and, in turn, uncovering the novel's strange admixture of Enlightenment rationality and Romantic intuitiveness—a mode of "Romantic realism" that champions fact-based induction, on the one hand, and, on the other, remains supple to epistemological challenges posed against that model by poets (and plagiarizers) such as Samuel Taylor Coleridge with his theory of imagination's " esemplastic power ."

PHILOSOPHY AND CREATIVITY WITH CHILDREN: LIPMAN, VYGOTSKY, RODARI.

The article is focused on the topic of how to practice philosophy and support creativity in kindergartens and elementary schools with the help of fairy tales, in particular with the help of the story of Pinocchio. Emphasis is placed on Lipman's activity of philosophy for children, which he tried to connect with Vygotsky's theories. The aim of the article is to show the importance of developing critical thinking in the form of dialogue in connection with creative thinking, which Gianni Rodari focused on. Rodari was based on Vygotsky's theory of imagination as a process of the human mind, which is a characteristic of all human being.

On Dreams, Human Imagination, and Technology

In this paper, I reflect on human imagination, the intention of technology, and the future of humanity in the era of the Anthropocene. I begin by presenting the environmental crisis and declare a need to protect and safeguard nature. In the first part, I offer an explanation of a dream of an airliner and link it to the Bachelardian theory of aerial imagination and oneiric flight. I show how, today, technology has entered our lives profoundly and how it has become closely intertwined with us human beings. Based on this, the second part is dedicated to Martin Heidegger and his question concerning technology. By analyzing Heidegger’s seminal essay on technology, I argue for an alternative possibility of thinking about human artefacts (such as various tools or even an airliner) beyond them being merely a standing-reserve and thus rather as a mode of unconcealement. The third and last part of this essay is dedicated to Ilia Delio’s Teilhardian cosmic vision of the future of technological progress. Technology, for Delio, is a part of this cosmic narrative and human beings represent the thinking portion of the universe. I conclude with a thought on a new elemental consciousness and imagination, in which nature, its life force, and the most advanced technology, including AI, would become a part of a new panentheistic whole.

유아음악교육에서 물질적 상상력의 의미 고찰

Objectives The purpose of this study is to review Bachelard's material imagination, analyze how material imagination is expressed in musical encounters of young children, and examine the meaning of material imagination in early childhood music education.
 Methods After examining the historical flow of the concept and value of imagination and the distinctive characteristics of Bachelard's theory of imagination through literature research, examples were extracted from previous studies on the researcher's invented notations. How material imagination is expressed was analyzed in their invented notations.
 Results Bachelard's theory of imagination overcomes the limitations of opticocentrism, and establishes the dynamic status of imagination by reorganizing the concept of motion of matter of objects. In material imagination, the essence in the depths of the object moves and approaches the subject, and the subject also recognizes the movement of the object with feelings of joy and wonder. The motility of matter possessed by the object gives the object initiative and gives it a status equal to that of the subject. In addition, the ontological qualification of the object is given due to continuous creation, which has the significance of enabling the subject to become an object.
 Conclusions In the children's invented notations, the children sensed the motility of the musical characteristics of the song and created a new mental image by intertwining their experiences and environments. It can be seen that this is a creation that leads to ‘children - song of ‘everyone jump’ - invented notation - becoming’ through the manifestation of the material imagination of young children.

Future Perfect: Imagination and Ideology

The purpose of this paper is not to detail what kinds of systems of belief there are or the capacity to discern between individual beliefs. It does not attempt to demonstrate the character of belief. My hope is to disclose a mechanism whose function details the operation that articulates concepts whose content are expressed by the function of our beliefs. I propose a theory of imagination based on a generative recursive and creative capacity. What I am interested in are the possible realities that can be mapped out by virtue of the models of consequence derived from the employment of belief systems. I intend to do this by illustrating a means of these systems’ construction and deployment. Imagination becomes an expression of possibility by way of a modal operation characterized by the functional-content of our propositions regarding the world. Ideology, then, will be considered a system that dictates the necessity of beliefs prior to ascertaining their possibility and before their assertion.

An Analysis of Borges’s “The Circular Ruins” in Terms of Imagination Theory

Analizimize konu olan Jorge Luis Borges’in “Döngüsel Yıkıntılar” adlı öyküsünde Arjantinli yazar, başka birçok eserinde olduğu gibi, sembolik açıdan oldukça zengin bir dünya kurmuştur. Okur olarak bu öyküde öne çıkan fikrin “sonsuz döngüsellik” olduğunu görmekteyiz. Bu fikrin aynı zamanda yazarın farklı öykülerine, denemelerine konu olduğu ve yazarın bu fikri eserlerinde türlü felsefi düşüncelerden esinlenerek kullandığı bilinen bir gerçektir. Bu nedenle eserin İmgelem Kuramı perspektifinden analiz edilmesinin, eserin sembolik dünyasının deşifre edilmesi ve eserin kapsamlı bir biçimde anlaşılması için uygun olacağı kanaatindeyiz. Makalemize başlarken öncelikle öyküde görülen felsefi düşünceleri tespit ettik ve öykü ile olan ilişkilerini açıkladık. Ardından analizin gerçekleştirilmesinde yararlanılacak kuram olan imgelem kuramı ve kuramın temeli olan “gündüz” ve “gece” rejimleri, beraberindeyse gece rejiminin yapıları olan “mistik” ve “sentetik” yapı hakkında belli başlı bilgilere yer verdik. Ayrıca “arketip” terimi ve imgelem çizgisinde ne anlama geldiği ile ilgili açıklamalarda bulunduk. Sonrasında ise “Döngüsel Yıkıntılar” adlı öykünün imgelem kuramı dinamiklerine uygun şekilde çözümlenmesini gerçekleştirdik. Öyküde öne çıkan semboller başvurduğumuz sembol sözlükleri ile açıklanmış ve rejim dinamiklerine göre yorumlanmıştır. Bununla birlikte baskın yapılar ve arketiplerin anlam bütünlüğüne göre değerlendirmeleri yapılmış ve öyküde baskın gelen rejim; bu rejimin niçin baskın geldiği ve başkişi, öykünün zamanı, uzamı ve anlatısı çerçevesinde tüm bunların ne anlama geldiği ile ilgili İmgelem Kuramı ekseninde değerlendirmeler yapılmıştır.