95113 - Imagination and Politics
N. Lygeros
Imagination in politics is much more important that someone is able to think. And the reason is simple. Imagination is another way to talk about strategy in a simple manner. Everyone is able to imagine something even if very often reality is far beyond his imagination. But it remains simpler than strategy. That’s why it’s so useful when you want to talk to people. Imagination has nothing to do with fantasy. In the case of the last one it’s a way to deny the reality of the world. And this isn’t a way to create the next one but to live in a parallel one which has no impact in History. But imagination is able to change reality. So, in politics imagination is a way to communicate with the others without mentioning the concept of strategy even if it’s its core. By the way, imagination can be supported by intelligence in order to be more efficient. Politics without any imagination is of course possible but it’s by default restricted to reality. And this is what we call real politics. The problem is that it has not the capacity to change reality but only to keep it at the same level. That’s why it’s conservative. On the other side, imagination isn’t radical because it needs the roots of the History. Imagination is constructed on the base of continuity and this is the reason why it’s compatible to innovation. So, imagination can be a powerful tool in politics if you are able to conceive it.