Idea
The text argues that the social sciences neglected the study of the historical becoming of imagination and memory. This means that researchers often focused on visible structures and institutions, while overlooking the forces that shape the social imaginary and reorganize human experience. The point here is not that imagination and memory are less important, but that they are crucial elements in the formation of societies and in understanding the transformations of consciousness within them.
Concise Formulation
The social sciences neglected the study of the historical becoming of imagination and memory
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This claim occupies a foundational place in the book’s argument because it identifies an epistemic gap that explains why certain readings of history and society seem incomplete. If memory and imagination are neglected, the social picture becomes static and truncated. From here, the example falls within Arkoun’s call to broaden the tools of understanding so as to include what does not appear directly in documents and institutions.
Why It Matters
Its importance lies in the fact that it shows Arkoun does not confine his interest to politics, jurisprudence, or texts, but also turns to the deep symbolic dimension of human life. This explains an important aspect of his project: thinking about the human being through what it remembers, imagines, and inherits of images and meanings. The claim therefore helps clarify the breadth of his critical horizon.
Brief Evidence
The text points to a gap in the social sciences, namely the neglect of studying the historical becoming of imagination and memory. Researchers often focused on visible structures and institutions and did not give enough attention to the forces that shape the social imaginary. This means that imagination and memory are essential elements in the formation of human experience, not merely secondary topics.
Reading Questions
- Why does neglecting imagination and memory count as a deficiency in understanding society and history?
- How does this claim expand the field of research in Arkoun’s project?
Degree of Documentation
High: the claim appears in a clear location in the book’s material.