From: Dace (edace@earthlink.net)
Date: Thu 20 Mar 2003 - 17:00:17 GMT
> From: "Reed Konsler" <konslerr@mail.weston.org>
>
> Ted:
>
> "We don't need the memetics model to account for the recognition that
ulcers
> are caused by bacteria...Since the idea turned out to be true, now lots of
> people
> believe it. No need for "selfish" units of culture propagating
themselves.
> But the prior belief-- that ulcers are caused by stress-- is not only
false
> but harmful. The extreme difficulty of uprooting this belief can be
> ascribed to the autonomy and resilience of the belief itself. Of course,
if
> bad ideas are memes, then every idea is potentially memetic. That the
> bacterial explanation of ulcers is a meme can only be demonstrated
> indirectly."
>
> That's a false dichotomy. Ulcers are a symptom. The presence of ulcers
is
> statistically correlated with the presence of certain bacteria. It's also
> correlated with ingestion of particularly acidic chemicals. It seems to
be
> correlated with stress, to the extent you can quantify that.
>
> The proximate cause of ulcers is an increase in stomach acidity beyond the
> ability of the mucous lining to protect against it. There isn't any
single
> ultimate cause, because (like most chronic medical problems) it's a result
> of an upset equilibrium. Anything, or any collection of things together,
> that upsets the equilibrium will cause the symptom.
>
> Because you come up with a new theory doesn't mean all the old ones are
> wrong.
>
> Because you create a "wonder drug" doesn't mean you have solved a medical
> problem.
>
> Another example. Many people are depressed. Depression has many causes:
> biological, psychological, and environmental. Depression is linked to
> reduced serotonin levels in the brain. That is a proximate cause and it
can
> be treated using an SSRI like Prozac or Zoloft. These drugs are quite
> effective and a blessing, but it would be a mistake to think that the
drugs
> have "fixed" the problem. There are not single theories or simple
> solutions. It isn't necessary, for instance, to choose between taking
> Prozac, praying to God for strength of will, meditating, and trying to get
> your life organized and on the track you want. You can do all at once.
Hi Reed,
Thanks for the info. The assertion regarding ulcers was Keith Henson's, not
mine. I was merely making use of his example to make a point about memes.
The tendency to reduce a complex event to a single cause may be a memetic
strategy to help us respond to situations instead of feeling paralyzed by
their complexity.
Ted
===============================================================
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 2.1.5 : Thu 20 Mar 2003 - 17:08:06 GMT