The Idea
The text holds that oral culture and literature contribute to shaping the collective imagination, that is, the way a group imagines itself, its world, and its past. The imaginary is not formed by theoretical reason alone; rather, it is shaped by stories, poems, verbal circulation, and shared memory. Oral tradition thus becomes a living force in building the large-scale images on which people live.
Concise Formulation
Oral culture: contributes to: shaping the collective imagination
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This claim occupies an important place in the book’s argument because it shifts attention from official texts alone to the cultural media that shape collective consciousness. What is meant is not the study of written knowledge only, but understanding how religious and social imagination is formed through circulation and storytelling. In this sense, this claim complements Arkoun’s view of society as the product of multiple layers of expression.
Why It Matters
Its importance lies in the fact that it explains how ideas move from the level of utterance to the level of collective representation. This helps us understand Arkoun in relation to memory, symbol, and imagination, not to texts alone. It also shows that the study of religion and history is incomplete without paying attention to the shared images produced by oral language.
Brief Evidence
The text holds that oral culture and literature contribute to shaping the collective imagination, that is, the way a group imagines itself, its world, and its past. The imaginary is not formed by theoretical reason alone; rather, it is shaped by stories, poems, verbal circulation, and shared memory. Oral tradition thus becomes a living force in building the large-scale images on which people live.
Reading Questions
- How does orality contribute to shaping the collective imagination more than writing alone?
- What is the relationship between literature and collective memory in this claim?
Documentation Level
High: the claim appears in a clear location in the book’s material.