What is the source of our imagination? Where do the images or representations of our imaginations come from? Are we entirely autonomous and self-governed in terms of what we (can/not) imagine? Is it perhaps a unique talent that some are born with while others are considered ‘less creative’? Or is imagination a skill that can be trained … Continue reading Role of Imagination: Social Imaginary
Crisis of Meaning as Crisis of Imagination
If storytelling is the human way of creating a meaningful whole out of fragmented moments, then a crisis of meaning signals a crisis of story - in other words, a crisis of narrative. But how do we come up with stories? I do not mean this or that particular content, but the plots and combinations … Continue reading Crisis of Meaning as Crisis of Imagination
A Thought on History and Identity
“The past is a cemetery of promises which havenot been kept.”Paul Ricoeur Paul Ricoeur (1913-2005) was a French philosopher who contributed to combining phenomenological descriptions of human reality with hermeneutic interpretations. The way I experience something and the way I make sense of it influence each other and are interwoven into one whole. This thinking … Continue reading A Thought on History and Identity
Spreading the Word: Journal Like a Philosopher
What does it mean to journal like a philosopher, and how to do it?
Spreading the Word: Research on Storytelling
In today's post, I share a podcast episode featuring one of the researchers engaged in a recent project investigating how the art of storytelling can help shift narratives in local communities to encourage more sustainable lifestyles. You can read their report and findings here. Enjoy! Keeping up the "Spreading the Word" tradition, I hope to … Continue reading Spreading the Word: Research on Storytelling
Spreading the Word: Multicultural Medieval Philosophy
Does the thought of a multicultural medieval philosophy surprise you? Do you believe those "dark ages" were mostly focused on religion and predominantly concerned with Christian theological discussions? If yes, it may well be that your views were shaped by historical narratives that are still, unfortunately, not that uncommon. It was after taking courses in … Continue reading Spreading the Word: Multicultural Medieval Philosophy
Life in Search of Narrative
The 20th-century French philosopher Paul Ricoeur wrote in his 1991 essay Life in Quest of Narrative that life is "an activity and passion in search of a narrative". Indeed, it is hard to overstate how important the stories are to us, human beings. Narrative is a medium through which we make sense, interpret, understand, identify, … Continue reading Life in Search of Narrative
Why do We Like Happy Endings?
Many people like stories with happy endings. I am among them. We prefer such stories. We are ready to accept almost any hardship that the characters of a narrative face while the story unfolds, as long as it ends well. As the famous John Lennon`s quote goes: "Everything will be okay in the end. If … Continue reading Why do We Like Happy Endings?
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