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Episodic memory and the witness trump card

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 January 2018

Jeremy Henry  and
Carl Craver
Jeremy Henry
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy and Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology Program, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130. jeremy.henry@wustl.educcraver@wustl.eduhttps://pages.wustl.edu/cfcraver
Carl Craver
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy and Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology Program, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130. jeremy.henry@wustl.educcraver@wustl.eduhttps://pages.wustl.edu/cfcraver
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Abstract

We accept Mahr & Csibra's (M&C's) causal claim that episodic memory provides humans with the means for evaluating the veracity of reports about non-occurrent events. We reject their evolutionary argument that this is the proper function of episodic memory. We explore three intriguing implications of the causal claim, for cognitive neuropsychology, comparative psychology, and philosophy.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 41 , 2018 , e16
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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