Freud and Nietzsche - An Account For The Role Of Memory In Our Lives

One of the main concerns of contemporary philosophy has been the role of the memory in the life of the individual and the group, or more precisely - the lack and excess of memory. Memory is something very unreliable, because it causes the same kind of decay that invades our physical bodies, undermining the identity of every individual and every society. Even though human identity is based on historical memory, neither individuals, nor societies should …

…by the similar warning each provides for us. Speaking posthumously, Nietzsche predicts the postmodern skepticism associated with knowledge in general, and in addition prefigures Freud in his psychoanalysis of knowledge. These two monumental works stand by themselves, however each contribute to a broader understanding of certain practices and psychological processes that can do tremendous disservice to individuals and cultures, helping us to reevaluate ourselves in the present, in order to preserve ourselves into the future.