RE: Why are human brains bigger?

From: Vincent Campbell (v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk)
Date: Tue May 23 2000 - 16:07:05 BST

  • Next message: chuck: "Re: What is "useful"; what is "survival""

    Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id QAA12984 (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 16:09:12 +0100
    Message-ID: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D31CEB1D4@inchna.stir.ac.uk>
    From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk>
    To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
    Subject: RE: Why are human brains bigger?
    Date: Tue, 23 May 2000 16:07:05 +0100
    X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21)
    Content-Type: text/plain
    Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk
    Precedence: bulk
    Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
    

    Good question- I'm never sure if it means 'In My Humble Opinion', or 'In My
    Honest Opinion'.

    > ----------
    > From: chuck
    > Reply To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
    > Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2000 10:07 am
    > To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
    > Subject: Re: Why are human brains bigger?
    >
    >
    >
    > "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
    > >
    > > ===============================================================
    > > 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
    >
    >
    > ===============================================================
    > 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
    >

    ===============================================================
    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



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Tue May 23 2000 - 16:09:46 BST