Ethics and Memory
摘要
This entry examines the most significant ethical questions surrounding memory, both at the collective and individual levels, as discussed in the literature. It begins by exploring the values associated with memory, including truth, accuracy, integrity, and broader social and political dimensions. The concept of a duty to remember is then addressed, particularly in the context of genocide and other human atrocities, along with the complex questions this concept raises. Ethical challenges posed by forgetting are subsequently analyzed, with a focus on its collective implications for forgiveness and its individual dimensions, such as the responsibility for forgetting and the right to be forgotten. After a brief discussion of memory virtues—a topic that remains underexplored in the literature—the entry considers the ethical issues surrounding the wishes of individuals with severe memory loss, such as those with dementia. Finally, it summarizes ethical debates related to current and hypothetical cases of memory modification, erasure, and enhancement, highlighting their potential impacts on personal identity, agency, authenticity, moral responsibility, testimony, and overall desirability.