Image as a challenge to philosophy: reconfigurations in the understanding of the contemporary world

Abstract

This article revisits questions from the so-called iconic/pictorial turn to highlight the image as a point of tension for philosophy. It clarifies that, based on the identification of an inherent metaphoricity within language games, one can conclude that the imagistic is a condition for interpreting linguistic effectiveness. Consequently, pictorial elements cannot be restricted to the artistic field and must be questioned for their broad participation in culture. This framework leads to a reflection on the media conditions involved in the current mode of image appreciation, given that technologies developments the structure of interaction with both artistic and non-artistic images. In this way, the imagistic field can challenge our traditional modes of understanding, constituting an unavoidable theme for comprehending the present.