​Imagination 

What is the role of imagination in producing knowledge about a real world? Can imagination reveal truths that reality hides? What is the role of the imagination in understanding others?

Imagination is often identified in a narrow sense as the capacity to form a mental representation of something without the stimulus of sense experience. Traditionally imagination has been associated with imagery and making a mental image of something. However, more recently interest in the imagination has also focused on exploring propositional imagining, or “imagining that”. The importance and power of the imagination is highlighted by a number of medical conditions which impact upon it, for example, conditions which can impair imagination such as severe autism, or conditions which can cause delusions such as severe schizophrenia.

Imagination is sometimes viewed in a broader way as being associated with creativity, problem-solving and originality. Here it might be the making of connections between otherwise disparate ideas in order to solve problems. This might be useful in model making or theory creation in the sciences and solving structural problems in the arts. Imagination is, however, also sometimes distrusted, in part because it is regarded as something that is derived in the mind of the individual and therefore subjective. Imagining is also sometimes associated with counterfactual reasoning; imagining “what would happen if ...”, or “what would have happened if ...”.

​Imagination is also sometimes associated with possibility, in that it can be argued that only things which are possible can be imagined. In this way, the imagination is seen by some to provide evidence of what is and is not possible. In daily life, imagination has a particularly prominent role in entertainment, for example, fictional films or television programmes. However, it can be argued that imagination also plays a deeper role, for example, in moral education, developing empathy, or providing opportunity for self-expression and an increased understanding of the self. 

​TOK Guide 2015

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Activity and DA 10:

1.​ Drawing activity
2. Observe the drawings that you have made.
Where did you get those ideas from? 

3. Read the definition of Imagination in the TOK guide and write a paragraph combining the definition and the activity. 
Can imagination give us knowledge of ourselves and the world? 


In pairs, read the information about Imagination and Other Mental States from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Be ready to share. 

Imagination and Mental Imagery 
Imagination and Belief 
Imagination and Desire 
Imagination and Supposition
Imagination and Dreaming
I​magination and Pretense

The thin line of Imagination

Autism
​6.2
Imagination 
​Delusion 
6.3

The Limitations of Imagination

​​Discuss

How far can your imagination take you? 
Is imagination a reliable source of knowledge? 

Imagination and Possibility 

Activity: 

​Use the TOK book, read the "Voices" portion which talks about using imagination in several professional fields (pages 186,187,181,191)

Answer the questions in page 185