Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id SAA06800 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 18 Feb 2002 18:24:09 GMT X-Sender: unicorn@pop.greenepa.net Message-Id: <p04320408b896f22afce6@[192.168.2.3]> In-Reply-To: <001701c1b7ee$56180a00$f9aeeb3e@default> References: <5.1.0.14.0.20020210120014.02c88260@pop.cogeco.ca> <003601c1b287$98de0220$5e2ffea9@oemcomputer> <001701c1b7ee$56180a00$f9aeeb3e@default> Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 13:19:11 -0500 To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk From: "Francesca S. Alcorn" <unicorn@greenepa.net> Subject: Re: Memes Meta-Memes and Politics 3 of 3 (1988, updates 2002) Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed" Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Philip Jonkers <philipjonkers@prodigy.net>
>
>
>
>
>> I think an attitude of skepsis has an optimum in effectiveness regarding
>> survivability. To some extent being skeptical obviously is useful as it
>> allows for
>> implementation of a selective filter for memes. The `don't believe
>> everything you
>> breathe' meme. On the other hand being extremely skeptical ultimately
>means
>> social exclusion as you don't believe anything or anybody. You will then
>> fail to function in any social environment which requires group conformity
>> and unison of thought and behavior.
Kenneth wrote:
>A. Appiah writes, " social repoduction [ that is leaning the traits, habits
>and
>rules] brings out collective goals ". But IMO that doesn 't mean that the
>social reproduction is " collective " in nature like eveybody seems to
>think.
> It is individualistic and the result is some culture and that is what we
>study,
>but the underlieing bias is not Dawinian ' collective ' ( group related) !!
>Group conformity is just another meme, not a fact !
I question whether this is a meme or a genetic predisposition. Group
conformity might be strongly biologically driven: it seems to be part
of what drives our us/them recognition pattern.
I don't know that everyone thinks social reproduction is collective.
I have been playing around with the idea, but I don't know where
everyone else on the list stands on this point. I suspect that just
as organisms exist at a single-cell and multi-cell level; just as
there are emergent properties, there has to be a word that recognizes
processes that function across/at all levels of complexity.
frankie
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