A philosophical examination of the concept of memory

Abstract

In this thesis, I have analyzed one of the most important cognitivecapacities of our mind, memory. I have tried to answer three questionsregarding memory within the Aristotelian theory: Are there different kindsof memory?, What justifies our memory statements? and How doesremembering differ from the other functions of mind?I have concluded that there are only two kinds of memory and thatAristotelian theory of memory, which is a prototype of the modernRepresentative Theory of Memory, covers and explains both successfully.Regarding the justification problem, I have argued that whileAristotle's solution is a promising one, it does not solve the problemcompletely. Aristotle's solution is based on the likeness relation betweenthe 'presentation' that is present to our mind at the time of rememberingand our previous experiences or knowledge.Finally, I have shown that it is possible to distinguish memory fromthe other acts of mind, such as perception, expectation and imaginationwithin the Aristotelian theory.