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Full Idea
I do not understand the power of memory that is in myself, although without it I could not even speak of myself.
Gist of Idea
Without memory I could not even speak of myself
Source
Augustine (Confessions [c.398], X.16)
Book Ref
Augustine: 'Confessions', ed/tr. Pine-Coffin,R.S. [Penguin 1961], p.223
A Reaction
Even if the self is not identical with memory, this idea seems to establish that memory is an essential aspect of the self. This point is neglected by those who see the self as an entity (the 'soul pearl') which persists through all experience.