JOURNAL OF DIALECTICS OF NATURE
A Comprehensive, Academic Journal of the Philosophy, History, Sociology and Cultural Studies of Science and Technology
Latest Issue
-
Aphantasia and Imageless Episodic Memory Abstract: Contemporary philosophy of memory centres on the nature of episodic memory, which refers to the memory of events that occurred at a particular time and place. The standard view sees the mental image of the remembered event as an essential component of episodic memory. For example, Fernández explicitly argues that the metaphysical essence of episodic memory is a kind of mental image. However, in the past decade, psychologists have coined the notion of “aphantasia”, a condition in which individuals struggle to generate mental imagery. Empirical studies have shown that while aphantasics have difficulties visualizing mental images, they can nevertheless complete episodic memory tasks. Specifically, despite the reduced vividness of their retrieved content, aphantasics are not inferior to non-aphantasics in terms of the accuracy and success rate of episodic memory. This indicates that mental images may not be a necessary condition for episodic memory, and thus the standard view has overlooked the diversity of mechanisms underlying episodic memory. In light of this, the present paper will propose and outline a more inclusive functionalist theory of episodic memory. Key Words: Episodic memory; Aphantasia; Mental imagery; Functionalismpage: 1-9Memory Enhancement, Memory and States of Life Abstract: With the development of smart drugs, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) and chip implantation, it has become possible to enhance human cognition and memory. Memory enhancement includes the enhancement of memory capacity, the modification of memory content and the manipulation of memory-related behavior. Scientists are making use of various technologies to realise these forms of intervention. These practices pose a challenge to existing accounts of the nature and categorization of memory. At present, prevailing conceptions of memory are constrained by an “attachment view”, according to which memory is regarded as subordinate to cognition, and memory enhancement is consequently subsumed under cognitive enhancement. To understand and deal with this challenge is to change the notion of memory. One possible approach is to rethink memory from the perspective of states of life. Memory can be divided into two types: dry memory and wet memory. This distinction has the potential to overcome the limitations imposed by the attachment view of memory. It also enables memory to be understood from multiple perspectives, including temporal representation, material traces, behavioral processes, motility emergence, ethical practice, and existential meaning. In this way, the attachment view can be overcome through a transformation of our notion of memory. Key Words: Memory; Human enhancement; Life attributepage: 10-17Multisensory Memory and Its Challenges and Revision to Mnemonic Causal Theory Abstract: This paper explores how multisensory memory revises and extends traditional causal theories of memory, proposing a novel framework of active causality. Traditional theories posit that as a source of knowledge, memory must adhere to a linear causal chain between past experiences and current representations. However, the sensory diversity of multisensory memory intensifies generative, counterfactual and holistic challenges. To address these challenges, we construct an active causal network model by integrating predictive mind, extended mind, and active inference theories. This framework reconfigures mnemonic causality as a dynamic distributed network, minimizing prediction errors through predictive coding mechanisms and Bayesian causal inference, thereby enhancing the robustness and reliability of multisensory memory. These advancements elevate the cognitive significance of memory and drive the transformation of memory philosophy from static preservationism to active causalism. Key Words: Multisensory memory; Mnemonic causal theory; Active causal theorypage: 18-26The Generationist Turn in the Epistemology of Memory Abstract: Memory has traditionally been viewed as a preservative source, in the sense that it cannot generate new justification. In recent years, however, this traditional view has been challenged, and a position known as “generationism” has gradually gained prominence. Generationists have provided a variety of arguments for the view that memory can generate new justification. This paper reviews the main generationist arguments, as well as the objections that they face. Tracing the development of generationism through two “waves”, it lays the groundwork for an assessment of competing forms of generationism. Key Words: Generationism; Preservationism; Memory; Epistemologypage: 27-36JOURNAL OF DIALECTICS OF NATURE
- Contact Us
- Address: No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
- Phone: +86-10-88256007
- Email:jdn@ucas.ac.cn
Follow Us© 2014 Copyright of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences© 2014 Copyright of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
