Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id PAA19525 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Fri, 9 Jun 2000 15:39:41 +0100 Message-Id: <4.3.1.0.20000609101720.00c29290@pop3.htcomp.net> X-Sender: mmills@pop3.htcomp.net X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 4.3.1 Date: Fri, 09 Jun 2000 10:37:35 -0400 To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk From: "Mark M. Mills" <mmills@htcomp.net> Subject: Re: Criticisms of Blackmore's approach In-Reply-To: <1251611139-15930705@smtp.clarityconnect.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Raymond,
At 08:42 PM 6/8/00 -0400, you wrote:
>Imitation is probably the most basic means by which memes are transmitted
>and likely the most common form of
>memetic transmission in animals. For example, the using the stick trick to
>get ants (or is it termites) in chimpanzees is transmitted by imitation. We
>also see this in humans, as in the case of blacksmith or carpenter
>transmitting his trade to an apprentice largely through the process of
>imitation.
I'm always somewhat puzzled when people use the word 'transmit' with regard
to memes. Replicate works better for me.
If a meme is a 'signal,' like a radio signal, then transmission would be
appropriate. We don't understand radio signals in terms of populations,
though. Without a population perspective, how can one find an evolutionary
perspective? How can signals 'compete' and allow natural selection to
operate? I'm assuming you see an evolutionary role for memes.
If a meme is a 'mental concept', then transmission is not
appropriate. Your parrot example demonstrates this. Clearly, there is no
'transmission' of neural states or cognitive activity between parrot and
human. The sensual stimulation of a parrot saying E=M C squared is
appropriately isomorphic for human signal interpretation, but then we are
back to signal transmission.
If a meme is an artifact, then perhaps the parrot is the meme (it was
trained by a human). Again, transmission is not an issue in your
example. The parrot doesn't go anywhere.
Can you describe the entity being transmitted? Can you then link the
entity to natural selection?
Mark
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