Laurynas Peluritis (Vilnius University, Faculty of Philosophy)
The paper argues that collective memory is problematic from both philosophical and historical perspectives. First, there is no such thing as “collective memory” – the concept is based on analogy and metaphor of individual memory but fails to give clarity or heuristic value (where is it located, how can it be accessed, what and how does it “remember” or “forget”?). What does collective memory offer that public discourse, narrative, and remembrance fail to provide? Secondly, the fixation on memory by some historians is strange in that historians typically occupy themselves with what happened or what has been forgotten. Memory has more to do with the present, sentiments, and oftentimes imagination rather than facts. The paper aims to start a discussion on the usefulness of the concept and its application.