The moral demands of memory

Abstract

Despite an explosion of studies on memory in historical and cultural stud- ies, there is relatively little in moral philosophy on this subject. In this book, Jeffrey Blustein provides a systematic and philosophically rigorous account of a morality of memory. Drawing on a broad range of philosophical and humanistic literatures, he offers a novel examination of memory and our relations to people and events from our past, the ways in which memory is preserved and transmitted, and the moral responsibilities associated with it. Blustein treats topics of responsibility for one’s own past; historical injustice and the role of memory in doing justice to the past; the relationship of collec- tive memory to history and identity; collective and individual obligations to remember those who have died, including those who are dear to us; and the moral significance of bearing witness. Relationships between the operations of personal and collective memory, and between the moral responsibilities attached to each, are highlighted and this discussion ties together the various strands of argument in a unified framework.