Individual And Collective Memory: Old Problems And New Challenges

Abstract

The author analyzes memory as a constituting factor of individual and collective identities. Current threats to individual and collective memories is investigated in the context of new information and communication technologies. It is shown that the extension of the part of memory (mobile telephone, Internet) can be used for controlling human behavior and interfering in the content of individual me­mory. The interference in collective memory is made both with destruction of its storages (monuments, museums, texts, arts, “memory places” etc.) and changing its sense. The change of individual and collective memory means the change of individual and collective identities. The author studies relations between dif­ferent collective memories, as well as the relation between collective memory as an experienced tradition and historical knowledge (historical memory) as a result of the works of professional historians, trying to get objective knowledge about the past. It is shown that the work of an historian is influenced by values and ideo­logies which results in different understanding of the same events by different scholars. It is shown how this problem can be solved. The thesis about urgency of dialogues between an individual and collective memories, between different collective memories, between collective and historical memories, between dif­ferent historical memories is defended. The experience of the past determines the future. The memory conflicts lead to collision between people, countries, cultures