The social and philosophical foundations of the collective memory studies

The article deals with the theoretical and methodological foundations of social memory studies. The paper provides an overview of collective memory theories in philosophy, social philosophy and psychology. On the one hand, the research investigates the origins of the problem in the antique philosophical works. On the other hand, it describes the philosophical, psychological and sociological approaches to the study of collective memory. The paper discusses how philosophy and social philosophy might contribute meaningfully to the discussions of collective memory. It reviews the philosophical and psychological literature on the theory of memory and connects these approaches to the sociological concepts. The author outlines that memory plays a crucial role in human history providing social integration and stability.