Memory and policy

ethical commitment and pluralism of interpretations

Abstract

In this article the author analyses ditferent ways of reconstructing memory in the light of its problematic articulation with politics. Thus, she identifies a republican 'edifYing' memory. a 'redemptive' memory, or one Ihal saves fmm oblivion and recovers losl memories, and a 'therapeulic'memory called upon to combat Ihe denial or repelition ofthe past by means of a reflective and critical re-creation of the lalter. After examining different situations which illustralc these uses of melllory and show how lllemory and politics mlltually define
each olher, the article consigns polilicalmelllory lo Ihe Pllblic sphere, which makes possible the ~lppea) to differnt forms of memory or its plural .expression in essenlially debatable interpretations