From: Wade T. Smith (wade.t.smith@verizon.net)
Date: Thu 15 May 2003 - 13:55:39 GMT
On Thursday, May 15, 2003, at 09:42 AM, memetics-digest wrote:
> Baseball (or cricket for the limies) is an element of culture.
>
> Are there objections to this?
Yes. Baseball, indeed, any game with rules, is not _an_ element of
culture. It is, rather, a carefully maintained cultural performance
venue, which controls many, if not thousands, of different elements of
culture, sociobiologic behaviors, and cognitive functioning, as all
venues of culture do.
> If the kids are playing a recognizable game of baseball when the
> experimenter returns, then the only information source for what they
> are
> doing is the books. I.e., the books contain the baseball meme
> (information).
No, sorry. There is quite another information source that you are, so
typically, denying or ignoring, I can't quite figure out which, but I
tend to hope it's ignorance and not willful prejudice- the performance
of the teacher, recounting, as best she tries, the performance of the
artifact of the book.
Why is the performance of the teacher in this 'thought experiment' of
yours being overlooked?
> Memes are often learned from watching others (though not exclusively
> as a
> certain person claims).
Wow, Keith, you're admitting my existence for a change...! But, of
course, even in your passing comment about the performance theory, you
deny a vital facet of it- artifacts. Yes, an observer is required for
memetic activity, but, no, watching others is not necessary. One can
view artifacts, or listen to artifacts, or touch artifacts. There is no
exclusivity to 'watching others' in the performance model. But, yes,
all artifacts are special cases of performance.
Again, I'm hoping for ignorance and not willful prejudice.
> PS. The meme that fruits, particularly citrus, prevent scurvy was a
> significant element in the power of the British Navy at one time.
And the correct spelling is limey.
- Wade
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