Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id PAA12163 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Tue, 23 May 2000 15:10:19 +0100 Message-ID: <392A4A6A.F5FBBFD6@mediaone.net> Date: Tue, 23 May 2000 10:07:54 +0100 From: chuck <cpalson@mediaone.net> X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.72 [en] (WinNT; I) X-Accept-Language: en To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: Why are human brains bigger? References: <20000523134746.AAA18874@camailp.harvard.edu@[128.103.125.215]> 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
"Wade T.Smith" wrote:
> On 05/23/00 08:34, Vincent Campbell said this-
>
> >Let us assume that animals have beliefs, requiring them in order to act.
>
> Vs. Let us assume that humans have no beliefs, and do not require them in
> order to act.
>
> And we can look at this side of things with much more ease, due to animal
> behaviors that closely approach cultural actions (tic-picking,
> food-sharing, courtship rituals) much more readily than we can look at
> the first side of things, with all its rampant anthropomorphisizing of
> these same behaviors.
>
> There is a _possibility_ that all we as humans do is below, or
> unconstrained, or unneeding of consciousness, and that what we are
> actually feeling is just that- feelings- arousals from the senses that
> could be completely ignored with little consequence. Enlightenment is
> numbness. Memes are dross left over from unheeded feelings, spilled milk,
> and culture is all apology and contrition, and ritual explanation.
>
> It is more fruitful, IMHO, to look from this perspective- man as
> reflected and reflecting feeler in an otherwise automatic realm. It
> explains many things.
>
> And in many ways, it keeps us more continuous on this earth. And it loses
> the soul, and good riddance.
I sometimes tend towards this direction, but I am always dissuaded by the
ability of some people - like Bhuddist monks - to actually decide to control
what are ordinarily automatic body functions - like heart beat. Something
else is afoot here that gives me pause.k
BTW, what is "IMHO".
>
> - Wade
>
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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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