Blog post for January 20th

Blog Post for January 20, 2014

Boorstin, Ch. 60-

Summary of Main Points:

            In this chapter, Boorstin discusses that memory was not only a skill, but an almost sacred virtue in ancient times.  He discusses that memory was valued and even taught, urging those wanting to improve their memory to associate memories with images and store the in rooms as if the mind was a cathedral with infinite rooms to connect images and memories.  However, as the invention of the printed word became more and more of a possibility as printed pages solved some of the problems of the roll, people began to value memory less.  Socrates predicted that this substitution of the written word for memory would cause learners to become forgetful.

Critique of the Reading:

            I thought Boorstin’s discussion of memory as not only a skill, but a virtue was interesting and made me question my lack of value for memory.  The ancients seemed to equate memory with a person’s learning and virtue, and I have never placed much esteem in memory.  Especially as an educator, I always prioritized writing, critical reading, and reasoning skills and was not a teacher who focused upon memory as a skill.  When some of my colleagues would make their students memorize poetry, I often wondered what value such a practice had for students.  However, this reading made me appreciate memory more, especially as I think about the reading I have done so far in The Shallows, which suggests that the Internet may be decreasing our ability to focus and retain information.  I wonder if my lack of reverence for memory has been a mistake.

Application of the Reading:

            This reading on memory made me think of the latest news about Alzheimer’s disease.  I seem to be hearing more and more about this disease in the news, whether that is because the disease is actually increasing or more Americans are aging, I am unsure.  As I was reading an article on Alzheimer’s (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/17/opinion/sunday/alzheimers-anxiety.html?_r=0), I was struck by just how much damage a loss of memory can do.  It is not simply an inability to recall facts and figures, our memory is tied to our memories, our past, and our fundamental identities.  Thus, maybe we should focus more on the skill of memory and not completely ignore memory as a skill to be retained and developed.  Maybe memory is still important even now that our written word is easier than ever to record and distribute.