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Passage: In the realm of memory, the distinction between semantic and episodic systems highlights a deeper philosophical question about the nature of the self. Semantic memory—the storehouse of facts and general knowledge—operates independently of personal experience. It is the repository of 'recognition' and the quantitative toolkit of the mind. Episodic memory, however, is a reconstructive process, where the individual relives specific events through a subjective lens. While the former provides the 'skeleton' of reality, the latter provides its 'flesh.' A person who loses semantic memory loses their world, but a person who loses episodic memory loses their 'narrative identity.' This suggests that the self is not merely a collection of acquired competencies or discoverable laws, but a continuous story we tell ourselves about our place in the world. To prioritize the semantic over the episodic is to mistake the map for the territory. In the context of the passage, the word 'skeleton' is used to refer to:

1. The failure modes seen when a memory system slowly begins to decay.
2. The rigid constraints imposed by standardized academic pedagogical models and methods.
3. The biological brain structures, such as the hippocampus, responsible for storing memories.
4. The objective, factual framework of knowledge that lacks subjective experience.

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