Re: Ehrlich's _Human Natures_

From: Scott Chase (ecphoric@hotmail.com)
Date: Wed 22 Jan 2003 - 03:41:26 GMT

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    >From: Philip Jonkers <philosophimur@dygo.com>
    >Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
    >To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
    >Subject: Re: Ehrlich's _Human Natures_
    >Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 05:20:25 -0800 (PST)
    >
    >A quick glance at what the internet has to say about this book learns that
    >it seems like a pretty interesting book indeed. Would you recommend it to
    >us? And why isn't he too thrilled about `speculative memetics? What about
    >non-speculative memetics (if there is such a thing)?
    >
    He's more keen on something like Cavalli-Sforza and Feldman have to offer. This reference to memes is from an endnote (not footnote, sorry) and I don't know if he gets into any more detail as the book progresses.

    I haven't followed up on this, but Ehrlich references a book he co-authored
    (Ehrlich and Holm's _The Process of Evolution_. 1963. McGraw-Hill. New York) were they spin a genetic-cultural analogy of their own, previous to Dawkins. I'd have to see if this stands up to Julian Huxley's noogenetics as a possible predecessor.

    I'm only partly through the book, but he seems to have all his ducks in a row when he discusses evolution. He doesn't appear to make any gaffes so far, at least that I can notice given my nonprofessional armchair stance.
    >
    >Phil
    >
    > >This is kind of a test post since I've had three posts bounce since late
    > >December.
    > >
    > >I've been reading through Paul Ehrlich's recent book _Human Natures:
    >Genes,
    > >Cultures, and the Human Prospect_ (2000/2002, Penguin Books paperback
    > >edition, New York). Quite an informative read, but I notice in a
    >footnoted
    > >comment that Ehrlich is not overly enthusiastic about speculative
    >memetics.
    > >
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    > >This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
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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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    =============================================================== 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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