This article aims to investigate the relationship between autism and memory, taking as reference the theses of French philosopher Henri Bergson, in interlocution with the cognitivist paradigm and the field of neurosciences. Based on Bergson’s perspective, we argue that autism features an early dissociation between memory and bodily action, making it difficult to use past experiences to solve a current situation. The autistic memory, without the pragmatic compass, wanders without a precise function, sometimes resulting in the subject’s inability to locate himself in contexts and in his own history, and sometimes in mnemonic prodigies that are not very useful for autonomy and social life. Autism may therefore be understood as a pragmatic memory disorder or disturbance of attention to life, affecting the individuals’ ability to respond creatively to everyday obstacles.
Key words:
Autism; cognitivism; memory; Henri Bergson