Imaginário, imaginação e relações sociais: Reflexões sobre a imaginação como sistema psicológico

Abstract

The present article discusses imagination as a complex mental activity and a psychological system of interfunctional connections, in accordance with Vygotsky’s definition, and addresses issues highlighted by Angel Pino in the essay Imaginary production and the formation of aesthetic sense. When stating his ideas about the imaginary and the psychological functions, Pino points out the problems of the nature of image and the imaginary function, emphasizing the relationship between the imaginary and symbolic processes, on the one hand, and reality, on the other. We believe that his theoretical production in this field provides fundamental contributions to the understanding of imagination as a psychological system and its importance for the development of human possibilities of self-determination and freedom. These contributions have led us to formulate questions regarding the place of imagination in the education of our children and youth.