The problems of memory in the philosophical tradition of Antiquity

Abstract

The article is devoted to the problem of actualization of the phenomenon of memory in the tradition of Ancient thought. Despite the genuine interest in the politics and techniques of memory, recollection and oblivion at the end of the twentieth century, the ancient tradition of interpreting the concept of "memory" rarely becomes an independent subject of detailed consideration by researchers. Modern authors from various fields of knowledge often mention Aristotle as the originator of the concept of memory, but such references are rather a "common place", a tribute to tradition, rather than a serious analysis. The study of the achievements of ancient authors opens the way for readers to study the problems of the work of consciousness, the general concept of time, and also creates the ground for the analysis of a wide range of epistemological problems. In this regard, the reconstruction undertaken in this article of the author's most important concepts of memory in antiquity aims not only to explain the meaning of phraseological units, such as "to fall to the source", but also to demonstrate the importance of ancient concepts for the modern understanding of the phenomenon, in particular, the understanding of memory as a specific characteristic of personality. The authors of this article proceed from the thesis that ancient Greek thinkers saw in memory the main property that distinguishes a person from other beings.