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Memory as a generative source of understanding| title | Memory as a generative source of understanding |
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| start_date | 2024/11/14 |
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| schedule | 12h15-13h45 |
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| online | no |
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| location_info | on Zoom |
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| summary | What is the function of memory? Many in the recent literature have rejected the traditional view that memory merely functions to preserve previously acquired information, such as information acquired through perception (Burge, 1997; Goldman, 2009). Some of these recent views instead argue that memory generates new epistemic justifications (Bernecker & Grundmann, 2019; Miyazono & Tooming, 2023). This paper proceeds in the same spirit as the generativist views in the literature, but identifies understanding instead of epistemic justification as the kind of epistemic value that memory functions to generate. I argue that one of the functions of memory is to improve our understanding of subjects and systems represented in the contents that we previously acquired. This is possible thanks to the fact that the memory system further processes previously acquired information, especially during the memory consolidation process. Drawing on empirical research, I argue that the consolidation process systematically generates the specific type of representations that contribute to understanding: they make accessible underlying relationships between different components of the represented subject or system, and do so in a way that is adaptive to the agent’s goals. The consolidation process therefore significantly enhances our performance in generating representations that provide understanding. |
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| responsibles | Kourken, Andonovski |
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Workflow history| from state (1) | to state | comment | date |
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| submitted | published | | 2024/11/06 14:22 UTC |
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