FROM THE IMAGINARY/REAL TO THE REAL/IMAGINARY: A DIALOGICAL EPISTEMOLOGICAL ANALYSIS BETWEEN BACHELARD, MAFFESOLI, AND ALTHUSSER

The study presents a comparative analysis of the conceptions of the imaginary in the works of Gaston Bachelard (1884-1962), Michel Maffesoli (1944-), and Louis Althusser (1918-1990). Methodologically, a phenomenological approach is adopted based on a bibliographical analysis of primary and secondary texts. Data collection includes central works of the three authors, while data analysis follows Husserlian phenomenology, aiming to uncover the relationship between the imaginary and reality in each thinker. The results reveal convergences among the authors regarding the structuring role of the imaginary in social, scientific, and ideological life. However, divergences emerge in how each understands the imaginary—Bachelard views it as creative, Maffesoli as a basis for social cohesion, and Althusser as a tool for ideological domination. The study concludes that the imaginary is multifaceted, acting as a force for creation or social control.