Between duty of memory and its betrayal. Analysis of considerations by Avishai Margalit and Paul Ricoeur

Abstract

Avishai Margalit and Paul Ricoeur are the authors of monographs about memory, which are extremely important in memory studies. The aim of the article is to present three planes that structure Margalit’s and Ricoeur’s conceptions of memory. Both authors undertake wide-ranging deliberations on memory — individual, collective, and time narratives. As a result, their research leads to some shifts in the understanding of these concepts — memory is not only a phenomenon but also a certain ethical commitment, so it can also be described in the language of philosophical ethics. This is the first of three planes constituting the foundation for the construction of both monographs. The second is the religious language used by both thinkers to refer to the inherent context of memory — forgetting and forgiving. The third refers to the state and other institutions that have a significant impact on memory and its shape.