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Episodic memory and theory of mind: A connection reconsidered
Author(s) -
Hoerl Christoph
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
mind and language
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.905
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1468-0017
pISSN - 0268-1064
DOI - 10.1111/mila.12170
Subject(s) - episodic memory , recall , reconstructive memory , theory of mind , psychology , autobiographical memory , cognitive science , grasp , philosophy of mind , cognitive psychology , chronesthesia , mental representation , possession (linguistics) , epistemology , cognition , explicit memory , computer science , philosophy , metaphysics , neuroscience , programming language , linguistics
A familiar claim in the literature on episodic memory in both psychology and philosophy is that engaging in episodic recollection requires grasp of a theory of mind. In this paper, I re‐examine what connection, if any, there is between episodic memory and theory of mind. I first criticize the dominant way in which this connection has been construed theoretically, which has sought to link the possession of episodic memory with a grasp of the idea of representation, or the idea of informational access. I then argue for a novel, alternative, way of connecting episodic memory and theory of mind, which focuses on the role a grasp of the category of an experience might be seen to play in episodic recollection. In doing so, I also draw attention to a dimension of our understanding of the mental which is as yet underexplored in the literature on theory of mind.