Learning from the past: epistemic generativity and the function of episodic memory

Boyle, Alexandria ORCID: 0000-0001-8827-5479 (2019) Learning from the past: epistemic generativity and the function of episodic memory. Journal of Consciousness Studies, 26 (5-6). 242 - 251. ISSN 1355-8250

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Abstract

I argue that the function of episodic memory is to store information about the past, against the orthodox view that it is to support imagining the future. I show that episodic memory is epistemically generative, allowing organisms to learn from past events retroactively. This confers adaptive benefits in three domains: Reasoning about the world, skill, and social interaction. Given the role of evolutionary perspectives in comparative research, this argument necessitates a radical shift in the study of episodic memory in nonhumans.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/imp/jcs;jse...
Additional Information:	© 2019 Imprint Academic
Divisions:	LSE
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > B Philosophy (General) B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Date Deposited:	08 Sep 2022 23:20
Last Modified:	05 Nov 2025 17:42
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/116590

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