Aristotle on Remembering and Memory. Toward an Interpretation of Mem. 1

Abstract

At the outset of De memoria 1 (hereafter Mem. 1) Aristotle promises a scientific definition of memory, a causal account that explains how episodes of memory occur, and a clarification as to the location of memory that identifies the main part of the soul involved in the exercise of memory. All these promises are fulfilled by the end of Mem. 1. While Aristotle has a great deal to say on human memory, his first and foremost goal is to develop an account that explains the role of memory and remembering in animal life. This article discusses the explanatory and definitional strategies adopted in Aristotle’s exploration of the phenomenon of memory. It also offers an interpretation of the whole chapter from a methodological perspective.