A priori imaginace

In this article, Dufrenne argues that imagination need not be only the subjective capacity to invent the unreal (dreams, fantasies), but that it is actually capable of revealing images that bring human beings closer to the hidden plenitude of Nature. Among these a priori images, such as heaven, water, blood, and earth, Dufrenne emphasizes the elementary, power, depth, and purity, which he believes are the most fundamental of them. He considers a potential classification of these images on the principle of ontological quality.