This distinguished collection of papers argues for a positive interpretation of imagination. It discusses the different ways in which the concept of the imagination has been construed. It also provides fascinating glimpses of the role of the imagination in the creation and understanding of Modernity.

Gillian Robinson lectures in Politics at Deakin University
John Rundell is Ashworth Lecturer in Social Theory at the University of Melbourne.

Preface; Introduction, John Rundell; Part I Decentring society, recentring the subject; Chapter 1 A society of culture: the constitution of modernity, Gyorgy Markus; Chapter 2 The Apocalyptic imagination and the inability to mourn, Martin Jay; Chapter 3 The elementary ethics of everyday life, Agnes Heller; Chapter 4 European rationality, Niklas Luhmann; Part II Creating imagination; Chapter 5 Creativity and judgement: Kant on reason and imagination, John Rundell; Chapter 6 Imagination in discourse and in action, Paul Ricoeur; Chapter 7 Radical imagination and the social instituting imaginary, Cornelius Castoriadis; Chapter 8 Reason, imagination, interpretation, Johann P. Arnason; epilogue Sublime theories: reason and imagination in modernity, David Roberts;