Re: Monkeys stone herdsman in Kenya

From: Mark M. Mills (mmills@htcomp.net)
Date: Mon Feb 28 2000 - 23:06:02 GMT

  • Next message: Joe E. Dees: "Re: Monkeys stone herdsman in Kenya" 

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Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2000 18:06:02 -0500
To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
From: "Mark M. Mills" <mmills@htcomp.net>
Subject: Re: Monkeys stone herdsman in Kenya
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    Joe,

    >> Thus, imitation alone can exist without requiring a memetic support
    >> system. The memetic support system follows the emergence of
    >> self-awareness, signing and planning. Turned around a bit, memes are the
    >> product of self-awareness, signing and planning.
    >>
    >> Am I interpreting this correctly?
    >>
    >Not quite.

    OK. Rather than do a lot of quoting, let me see if you will accept my
    recap of what you said.

    1. Technology predates language and early technology is passed on via
    imitation.
    2. The capacity for memesis emerges as an evolutionary surprise, an
    unprecedented event associated with cortex expansion.
    3. Tools become the first signs.
    4. Self-awareness is necessary for memetic evolution because freedom of
    choice is essential for 'true' memetic selection.
    5. Unconscious culture is a contradiction in terms.

    How does that sound?

    Getting back to my suggestion you believe 'memes are the product of
    self-awareness, signing and planning,' I'd now rephrase that as:

    you believe memes are the product of human brains expanding through a size
    or brain cell number threshold. This occurred following tools use,
    self-awareness, signing and perhaps even culture. Until the threshold is
    crossed and previously unknown mental powers emerge, memes are unknown in
    the terrestrial animal kingdom.

    Am I interpreting this correctly?

    Mark

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