Миф как «имагинативный абсолют» (Myth as the Imiginative Absolut)

In this paper I analyze the theory of the myth of Yakov Golosovker, who interprets myth as "a figuratively expressed idea," as an idea that reveals itself in series of images. First of all, the concepts of imagination and mind are explored. It is shown that reason is not opposed to imagination, but, on the contrary, the activity of imagination consists in thinking with ideas. Then the concept of an idea is investigated and it is shown that the idea here is not an image, but a symbolic concept; it expresses a certain meaning and, at the same time, is capable of producing various images in which its meaning is revealed. Thus, imagination is presented in this theory as both a creative and cognitive ability of a human being. It is shown that Golosovker's “semantic images” (Sinnbild) correlate in their functions with Heidegger's “readiness-to-hand, handiness”, with Cassirer's “symbolic forms”, with Misch's “evocative speech”, and also with Koenig's “logical metaphor”. Finally the concept of myth is examined from the standpoint of this theory of imagination.