Air and Dreams

Gaston Bachelard employs his deep understanding of the poetry of figures like Poe, Blake, Shelley, and Nietzsche to enhance the imagery of airy elements in his exploration of the imagination. The translations of Bachelard's works into English were initiated by Joanne H. Stroud in 1981, aiming to bring his insights on imagination to a wider audience. Renowned as a pivotal modern French thinker, Bachelard wrote twenty-three books from 1929 to 1962, focusing on the philosophy of science and the imagination of matter. His influence spans various humanities disciplines, including art, architecture, literature, language, poetics, philosophy, and depth psychology. Bachelard's academic career included positions at the College de Bar-sur-Aube, the University of Dijon, and the Sorbonne, where he held the chair of history and philosophy of science from 1940 to 1962. An amphitheater at the Sorbonne bears his name, a distinction he shares with notable figures like Descartes and Richelieu. In 1961, he received the Grand Prix National Lettres, becoming one of only three philosophers to achieve this prestigious honor. His profound impact continues to resonate across the humanities.