Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id QAA25917 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Fri, 5 Apr 2002 16:03:16 +0100 X-WebMail-UserID: rmey4892 Date: Fri, 5 Apr 2002 09:55:23 -0500 From: rmey4892 <rmey4892@postoffice.uri.edu> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk X-EXP32-SerialNo: 00002288 Subject: memetic memes Message-ID: <3CC2D2C9@iit1s21> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: WebMail (Hydra) SMTP v3.61.07 Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Hi all,
I recently discovered a book on Erasmus Darwin so, of course, instead of
studying for my Spanish test, I found myself delving into the intriguing world
of the memetic evolution of science. You see, Erasmus Darwin was the leading
doctor of his day, completely versed in the latest "bleeding" technology
(sarcasm), but nevertheless wanted far and wide for his services (by none
other than King George...the third I think?). He was known to associate with
Rousseau and Watt, amongst oyther great minds, and devised all sorts of
mechanical devices. He was the first person to observe and describe the
effects that oxygen had on blood and was active in the debate about phlogiston
(silly 18th century). He also dabbled in poetry, and had a knack for including
scientific themes into his poetry, particularly evolution.This legacy was then
left to Darwin, or Patrick Matthew if you want to lend credit where credit it
due.
I find this interesting because here is the dawn of an age (perhaps a peak of
an age or half way up the peak, for our purposes it matters not) where man
manipulates his environment, not only with simple logic, but by reasoned
scientific inquiry into the mechanics of nature. This is where materialism
takes firm hold of the rational human mind. So why, if we are now rational
beings, does irrationality continue unabated in the world? I suggest ignorant
and just plain uninformed, people.
Take the issue in Ohio, for example. What are these politicians thinking?
Inciting religous folk to denounce science, all because they wanted a few more
votes??!!!! Reprehensible. This is the challenge that memetics faces. These
vestigial religious memes are at fault, but more so, are the memes that occur
in the heads of the legislators and school board officials that allow this or
incite this line of reasoning (if you can call it reason). Shame on them (I
also blame Dr. Behe and his book "Darwin's Black Box", but since I only read
one chapter and could already answer all his arguments I didn't read any
further. I then read Kenneth Miller's "Finding Darwin's God" and he roundly
rejected Behe's arguments, so I am satisfied that reading it is a waste of
time. But as for a mechanistic world, Dr. Miller falls short of that as
well.He has a few memes he is clinging to, desperately).
So it is, in fact, an ignorance of the multitude of mankind that resists
scientific inquiry into the advanced organization of matter into life and
mind. When will memetics be lifted on high, as a triumphant pinnacle of the
philosophy of the clockwork mechanical structure of the natural world? Do we
want that? I think so, even if it makes us a little queasy to abandon the
things that are comfortable to us, I think truth, in the end, will prove more
interesting and fullfilling.
Randy
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