Creation and imagination in philosophy

Abstract

Creation and imagination have been discussed by a number of philosophers, dating back to the ancient Greek period, with prominent thinkers such as Plato and Aristotle holding to their opposing theories on these concepts. Debates on creation and imagination are still being pursued in the contemporary world, as indeed has happened throughout the centuries, thinkers have not yet managed to agree on one single definition of the terms creation and imagination. One of the perpetuators of this lack of consensus could be the fact that the notions of creation and imagination are often intertwined and thus it becomes nearly impossible for a universal meaning to be established to both 'creation' or 'imagination'. Another possible explanation could be the inter-disciplinary debates regarding creation and imagination, as other disciplines such as psychology, science and art have investigated these topics from a variety of perspectives. Thus it appears that a universal meaning of the two terms, creation and imagination, is virtually impossible to achieve. Although creation and imagination are often associated with different forms of artistic expression, there are a number of additional avenues where these concepts play an important role. Scientific discoveries which result from the imaginative processes of scientists may be deemed as exhibiting both concepts of creation and imagination too. Contemporary studies on creation and imagination are shifting their focus onto new emerging technological and scientific innovations. Research conducted in the area of artificial intelligence, for example, involves the attempt to comprehend human abilities and brain processes which lead to new creative products. The investigation conducted concludes that creation and imagination are culturally dependent and they should therefore be analysed with reference to the culture and society they are part of.