Derrida explores why humans feel compelled to create, preserve, and control archives. He argues that archiving is driven by a mix of desire and authority – what he calls the “archive fever.” This impulse is tied to memory, power, and technology; archives don’t just store the past – they shape what can be remembered and forgotten. Derrida also highlights how new media technologies transform the archive, raising questions about ownership, interpretation, and the instability of historical records.

https://monoskop.org/images/e/ef/Derrida_Jacques_Archive_Fever_A_Freudian_Impression_1996.pdf