Hegel’s Philosophy of Memory in Its Psychological Dimension

Hegel’s psychology provides an account of cognition that is held together by the twofold activity of memory, involving Erinnerung (recollection) and Gedächtnis (memory proper). While Hegel’s account of cognition is often investigated in relation to conceptual and logical thinking, in this contribution I explore more closely the contribution of memory to the generation of semantic content. I argue that this view of memory sustains critical awareness about representations of facts and events, serving as the foundation for practical philosophy and ethics. To do justice to Hegel’s approach and understand its modus operandi, I reconstruct the dynamics of cognition through the model of sedimentation. This is the theoretical process that generates knowledge by retaining and understanding the content of experience. I proceed by positioning Hegel’s psychology and the role of the mind in its systematic context. Then, I introduce the model of sedimentation, and how this is connected to Hegel’s use of Erinnerung and Gedächtnis. Next, I distinguish between the sedimentation of images and that of signs, explaining the genesis of thought out of memory. Finally, I offer some reflections on the moral relevance of memory in the context of Hegel’s psychology.