Remembering is an imaginative project

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Goldwasser, S. (2024). Remembering is an imaginative project. Philosophical Studies, 181(11), 2897–2933. doi:10.1007/s11098-024-02220-9

Abstract

This essay defends the claim that episodic remembering is a mental action by arguing that episodic remembering and sensory- or experience-like imagining are of a kind in a way relevant for agency. Episodic remembering is a type of imaginative project that involves the agential construction of imagistic-content and that aims at (veridically) representing particular events of the personal past. Neurally intact adults under normal conditions can token experiential memories of particular events from the personal past (merely) by intending or trying to. An agent’s ability to actively remember depends not only on her being able to determine that some memory event occurs but on her ability to construct the relevant scene at will as well. I claim that the ability to guide construction with respect to imagistic-content is distinctive feature of a subset of active imagining. Episodic remembering is of a kind with that subset of active imagining by being a process of agential construction of imagistic-content, in this case, scene construction that aims at (veridically) representing the personal past. Agential scene construction in the context of remembering is the agent’s exploring her personal past as a highly circumscribed region of modal space.

Authors

Seth Goldwasser1

What This Study Is About

This paper explores whether remembering our past is a "mental action"—something we intentionally do, like solving a puzzle—rather than something that just happens to us. The researcher argues that the act of recalling personal memories is actually a form of active imagination.

How They Studied It

This is a philosophical study rather than a laboratory experiment. The author analyzed existing theories of memory and "mental agency" (our ability to control our own thoughts). By looking at how we "construct" memories of the past, the author compared the process of remembering to other mental tasks, such as imagining a future event or visualizing a fictional scene. The paper specifically examines "episodic memory," which is the ability to remember specific personal experiences, like a past birthday party.

What They Found

The author concludes that remembering is an "imaginative project." When we try to recall a past event, we aren't just hitting "play" on a recording; we are actively building a mental scene. The study suggests that even though memory is supposed to be "true" to what actually happened, the process of bringing that information to mind is a skillful action. This means that memory and imagination are not two separate systems in the brain, but are instead part of the same toolkit we use to create mental content.

What This Might Mean

For people with aphantasia—the inability to voluntarily create mental imagery (the "mind's eye")—this research offers a new way to think about memory. It suggests that even if someone cannot "see" a memory, the effort they make to reconstruct the facts and feelings of the past is still an imaginative act. This shifts the focus away from the "picture" in the head and toward the "action" of the mind. It suggests that aphantasia might be a difference in how the "construction" is displayed, rather than a total lack of the ability to "reconstruct" the past.

One Interesting Detail

The paper distinguishes between "unbidden" memories that pop into your head without warning and "active" remembering. It argues that active remembering is a "basic action," meaning we can do it directly just by intending to, similar to how we decide to move our arm or focus our attention.

Remembering is an imaginative project

Abstract

Authors

Remembering is an imaginative project

Abstract

Authors

Remembering is an imaginative project

Abstract

Authors

Remembering is an imaginative project

Abstract

Authors

What This Study Is About

How They Studied It

What They Found

What This Might Mean

One Interesting Detail

What This Study Is About

How They Studied It

What They Found

What This Might Mean

One Interesting Detail

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