Ultimately, Sartre argues that because we can imagine, we are ontologically free. A consciousness that could not imagine, he points out, would be hopelessly mired in the "real", incapable of the perception of unrealized possibilities, and thus any real freedom of thought or choice.
Ultimately, Sartre argues that because we can think, we are ontologically free. A consciousness incapable of imagining would be hopelessly bound by the "real", unable to envision unrealized potentials and thus lack genuine freedom in thought or decision-making.