Hauntology, introduced by Jacques Derrida in his work "Specters of Marx," refers to the way elements of the past continue to "haunt" the present, shaping our ideas and culture. It suggests that history is never truly absent, but instead lingers as a spectral presence that influences current thought and practices. This concept challenges conventional ideas of linear time by suggesting that past, present, and future are interwoven through these lingering "ghosts."