Abstract | The article discusses the role of memory in transmitting responsibilities and commitments from the past. The article describes how memory serves to remind people of the responsibilities acquired and promises made that direct actions and projects in the present. Using philosophers John Locke and Friedrich Nietzsche as references, the article explores notions of conative memory that constrains the pursuit of current actions. It then discusses the role of conative memory in the formation of collective memories and identities. Details are provided regarding Locke's conception of personhood, understanding, and the will, along with a discussion of Nietzsche's philosophical anthropology.
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