Gedächtniskontinuität
Gedächtniskontinuität is a concept in philosophy and cognitive psychology that refers to the persistence of memory over time, allowing an individual to maintain a continuous sense of self despite changes in their mental, physical, or environmental circumstances. The term was coined by the German philosopher Paul Ricoeur in the 1960s, though its roots can be traced to earlier debates about personal identity, such as those by Augustine, Descartes, and Locke, who questioned how memory links past experiences to present selfhood.
Ricoeur argued that bodily continuity alone is insufficient for identity; a continuous narrative or memory stream
In contemporary research, Gedächtniskontinuität is studied within the frameworks of episodic memory and self‑concept. Empirical studies
The notion is also relevant to discussions on legal responsibility, where continuous memory is implicated in