Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id QAA09581 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 18 May 2000 16:39:52 +0100 Message-ID: <3923C91F.C391AA53@mediaone.net> Date: Thu, 18 May 2000 11:42:40 +0100 From: Chuck Palson <cpalson@mediaone.net> X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.72 [en] (WinNT; I) X-Accept-Language: en To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: Central questions of memetics References: <3923B38A.FCEC6091@mediaone.net> <00051815343005.00537@faichney> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Robin Faichney wrote:
> On Thu, 18 May 2000, Chuck Palson wrote:
> >But in any event, discovering use value is not tautological because it
> >is every bit as falsifiable as Darwin's theory; that's no accident because it is
> >an integral part of Darwin's theory!
>
> I don't see how "use value" for individuals can be an integral part of
> evolutionary theory, unless you disagree with all the modern thinking that
> says the replicator is *not* the individual, but the gene. (And there also
> seems to be an implication that all behaviour is genetically determined,
> but maybe your answer to the first question would also answer the second.)
>
I frankly have difficulty with this aspect of evolutionary theory. Yes, evolution
must function on the gene level. But the end result must be reflected in some way in
the individual. Individuals who are born without brains don't survive. Individuals
who have defective brains - that can't compute solutions to the ordinary situations
in life - die pretty fast also. The gene that produced the stupidity dies along with
all the other genes. Individuals that carry genes survive if those genes as a whole
produce the right behaviors of individuals. So tell me in a short e-mail why, if or
how this contradicts the notion that selection takes place at the gene level. Please
don't make it a long one because I can't read your long ones any more.
>
> --
> Robin Faichney
>
> ===============================================================
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This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
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