Re: evolution

From: Scott Chase (ecphoric@hotmail.com)
Date: Mon 09 Dec 2002 - 23:29:11 GMT

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    >From: "Grant Callaghan" <grantc4@hotmail.com>
    >Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
    >To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
    >Subject: Re: evolution
    >Date: Mon, 09 Dec 2002 13:35:13 -0800
    >
    >>
    >>
    >>On Monday, December 9, 2002, at 12:04 PM, Grant Callaghan wrote:
    >>
    >>>I think we have to define memetic evolution as Lamarkian for two reasons:
    >>>1) the "seed" of an idea is broadcast to everyone withing seeing or
    >>>hearing distance rather than selectively passed to just one individual,
    >>>which these days means everyone watching TV, going to school, reading the
    >>>same book or reading this list, etc., etc. and 2) the meme which is
    >>>picked up by various members of the public does not produce a faithful
    >>>reproduction of the meme that was spread in the broadcast. There is too
    >>>much variation for it to be a Darwinian type reproduction and evolution.
    >>
    >>Each performance is goal-oriented (aka lamarckian) (the performance
    >>itself, as far as the performer is concerned, is only a goal, but the
    >>performance itself is only half of the equation of culture), yes, but,
    >>each replication may only have the goal of replication itself, so, while
    >>lamarckianism might be a fair analyzation of some individuals' memetic
    >>processes, I don't think cultural evolution itself demands lamarckian
    >>mechanisms, at all.
    >>
    >>And, evolutionary mechanisms are not presumed to be individual's
    >>mechanisms, are they, regardless of the agency within evolution of
    >>individuals?
    >>
    >>- Wade
    >
    >If Mr. Darwin were still around, I'd ask him. But then I can't ask Lamark
    >for the same reason.
    >
    >
    Well if he's not too busy with thesis work, I'm sure Mr. Wilkins will be chiming in on you mates as this this happens to be his area of expertise.

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