Abstract

An analysis of the phenomena of forgetting and oblivion in the context of culture is presented in this article. It is emphasized that these phenomena are significant problem of cultural and philosophical cognition. Until recently, the theoretical discourse has been dominated by negative assessment of forgetting and oblivion as harmful memory loss. However, in the article it is suggested to consider oblivion as a complex multidimensional phenomenon, a cultural universal, whose role and significance in different types of cultures differ substantially. The relationship between the concepts of “forgetting” and “oblivion” is considered, and variants of their interpretation in ancient, traditionalist and modern cultures are analyzed. The analysis of positive and negative modes of oblivion is carried out. In the ancient culture, forgetting is treated as a destructive force that is sent as a test or punishment, with which it is necessary to fight and win. Traditionalist culture, on the one hand, treats oblivion as the antipode of tradition and, consequently, the loss of cultural meanings. On the other hand, in this type of culture, oblivion is seen as a necessary stage of personal spiritual self-improvement. Within the limits of modern culture, many manifestations of oblivion are singled out and as positive and a negative phenomenon.