Freud and Nietzsche - an Account for the Role of Memory in...

One of the main concerns of contemporary philosophy has been the role of the memory in the life of the individual and the group, or more precisely - the lack and excess of memory. Memory is something very unreliable, because it causes the same kind of decay that invades our physical bodies, undermining the identity of every individual and every society. Even though human identity is based on historical memory, neither individuals, nor societies should be limited in categorical way by it and the importance of forgetting should not be diminished. In consideration of memory, psychoanalysis and history as disciplines may be merged to provide one with a more expansive view of this phenomenon, without reducing one to the other. Reading†¦show more content†¦Mourning should be used to recognize the loss of a particular object and to eventually come to terms with the separation, the experience ultimately making one stronger and urging one forward. Nietzsche believes that history is also something that individuals and groups must use to move forward, however it is largely practiced in a harmful manner. History is necessary for us to be human, yet it must be practiced in the right way to avoid damage to human life and culture. Irving Ball beautifully articulates the point, the past should be a springboard not a hammock, as the past must always be in service of the present and the future. In his essay, Nietzsche outlines three forms that an excess of history can take. The first is what Nietzsche describes as the monumental, in which people look to the past for models, which they passively emulate, robbing the present of its self-defining vitality. The veneration of the past turns history to stone, literally and figuratively, and therefore is really a kind of hatred, as a certain amount of forgetfulness is required to allow history to live. The monumental strips both the past and present of value. When we consider what Nietzsche describes as the monumental, we can see that it bears close resemblance to Freuds idea of cathexis, a precondition for melancholia. Object cathexis or a strongShow MoreRelatedHorace Gregory s Short ( But Perfectly Formed D. H. Lawrence : Pilgrim Of The Apocalypse10205 Words   |  41 PagesCHAPTER TWO Inquisitive D. H. Lawrence versus Anally Retentive Mr. Freud Horace Gregory’s short (but perfectly formed) D. H. Lawrence: Pilgrim of the Apocalypse (1933) explains how Lawrence’s two essays on psychoanalysis were motivated by his desire to understand. What he needed to understand was why he was as he was; how the development of masculinity and gender identity were influenced and how obstacles such as an over-possessive mother might impair these developments. 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