Philosophic ism (s) in the Social Imagination

Rationalism - this ism argues that reason (man's) is the chief source of absolute knowledge; as if 'reason' exists outside the human mind and once exercised knowledge can be 'known' absolutely.

Subjectivism - this ism argues that every man 's reasoning is the ultimate source of his/her reality; as if every man/woman subjective view is all the truth he/she will ever know.

Perceptivism- this ism argues that if a man/woman sees it; it exists and thus a truth is created by different vantage points.

Idealism - this ism argue that ideas are the only means to truth, supposing that ideas exist in ideal types/forms and present themselves as such.



Empiricism - this ism argues that through our sense experiences we can know what it real and true. It is in this ism that we arrive at positivism as it takes senses a bit further interpreting them using rational or logical mathematics.



Pragmatism - this ism argues that thought is a practical function and its successes are repeated providing reality. If man considered something to be true its only because it worked in the past, present and is presumed to work in the future. In this sense, thinking is just the outcome of an operational program that thinks it has free will.

So what then is the social imagination? Is imagination thought, does it produce truth and reality? That's a good question. The social imagination is a collective entity of social encounters as - information encountering information. Whose information is right? Another good question especially considering the vast amounts of diversity in information in the world.

Can anyone then have true as in real information that is good for all people everywhere? Are we suggesting that out of the isms presented there is only subjectivism?  Cannot be because the social imagination says that there is no subjective information only shared information that is passed on because it works and now it sounds like pragmatism. But which information is passed on because it works, does it depend on the point of view as in vantage point and if certain individuals share the same vantage point and information works for them in that place they exchange it and do so because it was exchanged before, thus making it learned.

This why many scientists think that empiricism is the best ism because they test their senses and what appears to be working successfully by using logical mathematics. However, they seem to forget that the choices for what is logical math and what is not is based on the one or ones who perceive (s) and then others in and around that 'mathematical event' jump on board with that logic as it appears to be successful.

Is there any truth whatsoever? Perhaps Aristotle would have said that the only truth is the pursuit of the prime mover, which is the only absolute thing we can begin to imagine and grow in its imagination.

~ God is the ultimate source of our social imagination.