Call for Fellows: Humanities and the Imagination/Imaginary

Now that the Enlightenment dream of generating perfectly rational human persons and utterly transparent social relations has crumbled, the humanities’ focus on human imaginary processes has become increasingly important. But the human imagination is a double-edged sword. On one side is the possibility that humanistic inquiry into myth, narrative, and metaphor will save humanity from the nightmare of destruction so frequently justified by rationalistic claims. On the other is the possibility that the imagination will condemn humanity to irrational delusions that are equally disastrous.

The purpose of the 2012-1013 Institute for Humanities Research Fellowship at Arizona State University is to pursue both sets of possibilities.  Will imaginary processes preserve our humanity, or will it lead to our destruction?  We invite humanities scholars from various disciplines to apply for this fellowship based on research projects that illuminate and enrich our understanding of the multifaceted role that the imagination—and its cognates, the image and the imaginary—occupies in the human experience.  Projects may explore the ways in which myth, metaphor, and narrative can empower sound ethical decision-making and action, resuscitate our humanity when we falter, enliven forgiveness, love, and hope in the human heart, and engender powerful visions that create better lives.   They may also explore failures of the imagination and the “darker” side of the imagination, such as apocalyptic visions, prophetic fascination with dark endings, and unethical imaginary motifs and practices.

The IHR Fellows program provides funding for a research team to engage in a year of research related to the annual theme, share their research with the academic community, and produce a strong application for an external grant.

The Visiting Fellows program is for scholars from other institutions of higher education in the US and abroad to spend spring semester in residence at the Institute for Humanities Research (IHR), participating in the intellectual life of the IHR and the university community. The Visiting Fellowship provides the opportunity to conduct research, collaborate with ASU faculty, and write. The Visiting Fellowship also promotes an exchange of ideas among visitors and ASU Fellows also working on the annual theme. Visitors will participate in weekly fellows meetings and give public lectures and seminars on their research topics while in residence at the IHR.

More information on the 2012-13 IHR Fellows program and application