#ethics of memory

The philosophy of the past explores the nature of historical reality, the significance of memory, and the interpretation of historical events. It delves into how we understand, represent, and learn from what has already happened. This field intersects with metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and historiography, offering a comprehensive approach to how the past shapes our present and informs our future.

Key Themes in the Philosophy of the Past

Nature of Time and Temporal Ontology:

Philosophers investigate the metaphysical nature of the past, questioning whether it exists in the same way as the present and future, or if it is merely a construct of our perception.

Debates center around concepts such as presentism (only the present exists) versus eternalism (the past, present, and future all equally exist).

Historical Knowledge and Epistemology:

This theme addresses how we come to know and understand historical facts and events. It includes discussions on the reliability of sources, the role of historical evidence, and the methods of historiography.

Philosophers examine the limits of historical knowledge and the challenges of objectivity in historical interpretation.

Memory and Personal Identity:

The relationship between memory and identity is a crucial aspect of the philosophy of the past. Philosophers explore how memories shape our sense of self and continuity over time.

Questions arise about the reliability of memory and the distinction between personal memories and collective memories.

Historiography and the Interpretation of History:

This theme involves the study of how history is written and interpreted. Philosophers analyze different historiographical methods and the philosophical assumptions behind them.

The debate between historical realism (history as an accurate representation of the past) and historical constructivism (history as a narrative constructed by historians) is central to this discussion.

Ethics of Remembering and Forgetting:

Philosophers explore the moral implications of how societies remember and forget past events. This includes the ethics of commemoration, historical justice, and the responsibilities of historical actors.

The concept of historical amnesia and the politics of memory are also examined.

Impact of the Past on the Present and Future:

The influence of historical events on current and future conditions is a significant area of inquiry. Philosophers investigate how understanding the past can inform present decisions and future planning.

The idea of historical determinism versus the possibility of changing trajectories based on past lessons is explored.

Philosophical Reflections on Specific Historical Events:

Philosophers often reflect on particular historical events to draw broader philosophical conclusions. This includes examining the causes and consequences of wars, revolutions, and social movements.

The interpretation of key historical figures and their impact on philosophy and society is also a common theme.

Narrative and the Construction of History:

The role of narrative in shaping our understanding of the past is a critical aspect. Philosophers analyze how storytelling influences historical consciousness and the representation of events.

The tension between factual accuracy and narrative coherence is a central concern.

I'm taking a course this semester called 'the ethics of memory' sounds interesting right? Well it fucking is, except the professor doesn't know how to fucking teach nor present any of this information in an interesting way. She literally will be talking about the most interesting shit and I have 1-no fucking idea what she is saying because she fucking mumbles and I'm three feet away from her but I still can't fucking hear her and 2- no fucking idea what she's even talking about cause she jumps around like a fucking squirrel on Adderall, and I having fucking adhd and I can't understand her, and I can't follow her thoughts. Its not even that she gets sidetracked its just that she has her own freaking conversations in her own brain and then just gives us the highlights and god fucking damnit i HATE HER

and here's the thing

The topic is interesting. Like actually. I could really get into this. but you know what it took to get me to realize that. My fucking HISTORY class talking about how this guy wrote this article about a bunch of hero's and presented the true side of the story where they guys where assholes and he was highly criticized for it because these guys are legends. And all the sudden I got a 'that's so raven moment and thought, I remember watching a fucking Simpsons episode in class (YEP its the only thing I was every able to understand in this class) and now I've gone down a rabbit hole with the question of do we ethically have an obligation to tell the truth behind a story/legend/myth–good or bad–or is it okay to believe a small fabrication or exaggeration, especially when it comes to stories that bring pride?

THATS FUCKING INTHERESTING and my teacher just...didn't care.

but thats all fine, whatever, she sucks, at least I got something out of the class whatever.

but yall wanna know what threw me off the ledge into writing this damned thing.

THE FINAL FUCKING ASSIGNMENT PROMPT:

*keep in mind this is THE ONLY essay we will write for this class, the rest have been readings and notes on the readings*

Your final assignment in the course — the one which you've been building up to all semester — asks you to draw on the work you've done in the class and apply it in a new way to a topic/issue of your choosing. This culminating assignment is due by the last day of final exams, May 9. ***note it is currently November 11 as I'm writing this and the semester ends on December 19, she does this with every assignment, she is to lazy to change it and it pisses me off okay moving on***

Final Project/Commemorative Work

An anonymous, wealthy donor has left the City of *my city* a large sum of money with the condition that it be used to reinvigorate the commemorative landscape of the city. The donor is especially eager to fund a commemorative work—broadly defined to include monuments, markers, memorials, and other similar permanent constructions, as well as temporary structures, installations or events—that not only brings the past into the present, but holds the possibility of engaging audiences in the future. Your job in this assignment, in a minimum of five pages of writing, is to “propose” a new commemorative space to be located in *my city* or on the campus of *my college*.*

***this was the most important part-you can skip the following and just go down to my commentary if you want to****

Drawing on course readings, discuss some of the issues pertinent to memorialization and the ethical dimensions of memory. What are the factors to consider with the preservation of memory? Consider the issues around what, whom, andhow to remember in public spaces. And finally, think about the ethical issues and frameworks that your proposed space/memorial touches upon.

Next, describe the commemorative work you are proposing for *my city*. Who or what will be commemorated? What is the rationale for this commemoration? Describe where it would be, what it would look like and be made of, as well as how it would be constructed and maintained. The design of the space is obviously connected to questions whom you want to memorialize and what the message or effect of the space to be.

Once you have described your space, you should justify it. Why did you choose the location or context? What is the significance of its design? Who are the primary audiences for the work? What does the work ask of its audiences? How do you expect people to interact with the work? Does the work challenge your viewers preconceived notions about memory, memorials or the historical moment in question? You might find it helpful to revisit some of the ideas you explored in Perspectivesas you think about engaging with the different opinions and inclinations of your audience. 

You may not have realized it, but you have been generating ideas for this assignment all semester! I would therefore encourage you to look back at your reflection journal entries and discussion board posts to see if you might have identified something of interest that you’d like to develop in your final assignment.

**** okay

its not horrible. but its fucking bad. she has a whole realm of the ETHICS of MEMORY and she decides to do this? She hasn't stopped talking about Anne Frank, or the holocaust in general, and she could give a prompt like, how do we remember events in history ethically? this would be such an amazing class to have an open ended prompt for an essay, but nooooo we have to do a fucking memo for a 'commemorative space' in our town?

I would write PAGES about the ethics of us being able to read Anne's diary, or her father releasing it. I would love to dive deeper into why memorials work or don't what that line is and where to draw it (but this is WAY to broad we would need to narrow it down). I would kill to write a paper on the history of the pink triangle and why the Australia pink triangle memorial means so much. Or why historically the pink triangle is monumental, what is means then vs now, how it was used. I would fucking love to write an essay about the ethics of remembering historical figures who've turned into legends and whose story has been warped a little, where the legend and the historical accuracy are completely different, and WHAT is ethical in that moment when talking about them? and here's the kicker, all the examples I've given you ARE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT IN CLASS so its not even like 'its out of the curriculum'

There are so many fucking interesting topics in this realm, and she wants us to write different versions of the same paper. there's so much room to play with this, its so interesting. fuck this.

I'm not reading through this, I went and corrected the red squiggles but that's it. This was probably kind of mean, but god I hate incompetent teachers. especially when its an interesting topic and they suck the life out of it.

Okay, good night (can yall tell its almost 3 am). Anddd post

I'm pleased with how everything came together for the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion this week. I presented in the Religion and Science Fiction section last Saturday alongside some really fascinating papers. I used the lens of trauma to think about the journey of moral discernment in the 2003 version of Captain America's origins, linked tightly to fictional (but entirely plausible) experiments on black soldiers. 

On Friday I tweeted out this photo of my handout with a joke I am pretty proud of:

Tomorrow I attempt the impossible: getting people to use QR codes pic.twitter.com/mkbnzk6i70

— Chris Dowdy (@jehiahdowdy)

November 23, 2013

The idea was to let people easily access the slideshow on their phones if they wanted. It was basically well received and at least few people used it in the way it was intended. It also ended up being a way to start conversations with people leading up the presentation, which was a bonus I didn't anticipate. 

Extraordinary work:

Culinary injustice is what you get where you go to plantation museums and enslaved Blacks are not even talked about, but called servants.  We are invisible.  Visitors come from all over to marvel at the architecture and wallpaper and windowpanes but forget the fact that many of those houses were built by enslaved African Americans or that the food that those plantations were renowned for came from Black men and Black women truly slaving away in the detached kitchens.  Imagine how I, a culinary historian and living history interpreter feel during some of these tours where my ancestors are literally annihilated and whisked away to the corners of those rooms, dying multiple deaths of anonymity and cultural amnesia.  I’m so tired of reading about how “okra” is an “African word.”(For land’s sake ya know “apple” isn’t a “European word…” its an English word that comes from German like okra comes from Igbo and Twi!) I am so tired of seeing people of African descent relegated to the tertiary status when even your pal Alton Brown has said, it was enslaved Black people cooking the food.  Culinary injustice is the annihilation of our food voices—past, present and foreseeable future—and nobody will talk about that like they are talking about you and the “n word.” For shame.