Royal Institute Philosophy Talk- Michael Brady, Trauma Emotion & Memory

What we remember is a central expression of who we are. So what should we remember, and what is best forgotten? Talks will focus on various aspects of the question, such as trauma, conflict resolution, forgiving and forgetting, memorialization, and constructing identities on- and off-line. Explore these questions, among others, through the lens of philosophy at the 2024/5 London Lectures.

Trauma, emotion, and memory

Speaker: Michael Brady is Professor of Philosophy and was recently Head of the School of Humanities at the University of Glasgow. His research centres on the philosophy of emotion, and its links with moral philosophy and epistemology. He is author of Emotional Insight (Oxford University Press, 2013), Suffering and Virtue (Oxford University Press, 2018), Emotion: The Basics (Routledge 2018), has edited five volumes, and published numerous journal articles and book chapters. In 2022, he was awarded a Leverhulme Major Research Fellowship for a project on the Philosophy of Post-Traumatic Growth, which will run until 2025. He is also philosopher-in-residence for the Manchester-based artist and performance company Quarantine.

How does memory help some people grow after trauma? Post-traumatic growth (PTG) is a term which refers to ‘positive psychological change experienced as a result of the struggle with highly challenging life circumstances’ (Calhoun & Tedeschi, 1999, 2001). PTG has been extensively studied by psychologists for the past 30 years, but also represents a new version of an ancient idea present in theology, philosophy, and cultural narratives – namely, that great good can come from adversity and suffering. In religious traditions, we might think of the role of adversity in redemption or as proof of faith. In secular traditions, adversity is a condition for people to be courageous or creative. In my talk, I will look at the role of memory in PTG. I will focus in particular on the idea that in order to grow in the aftermath of trauma, ‘emotional memories’ of the event will have to diminish. The implications of this for how, if at all, trauma should be remembered will then be considered.

Host or Publisher The Royal Institute of Philosophy