From: Douglas Brooker (dbrooker@clara.co.uk)
Date: Wed 21 May 2003 - 08:48:51 GMT
>
>
>
>
> >From: Keith Henson <hkhenson@rogers.com>
> >Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> >To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> >Subject: RE: transmission
> >Date: Fri, 16 May 2003 09:27:39 -0400
> >
> >At 12:49 AM 16/05/03 -0400, you wrote:
> >
> >
> >English *does* have a use for highly inclusive words.
> >
> >
> When there's merit in the usage of course. You may not have realized
but the
> varieties of dogs are connected by common ancestry and all can more
or less
> interbreed (except for possible trouble between Great Danes and
Chihuahas)
> quite easily. These dog breeds are a result of evolution and these
dogs are
> related to wolves and coyotes. I see no trouble using the word dog to
refer
> to the various breeds.
>
> Memory, rule, idea and performance OTOH are words referring to
somewhat
> different things. The usage of these terms convey something in each
case
> that doesn't seem to me to be captured well under the umbrella of the
> "meme". The "meme" is a term coined by Dawkins that IMO doesn't have
the
> same status as the term "dog".
>
there is a lack of superodinates in English with the result that words
are used in double senses as both a superordinate and as a member of
the group to which the superordinate refers. (cf F. Bowers, "
Linguistic Aspects of Legislative Expression")
one would like to know the range of opinions on this, expressed in a
structured, methodical way, where 'meme' stands in relation to
associated concepts like 'idea'.
the relationship of dog to kinds of dogs - poodle, greyhound, etc is
one direction of a hierarchy.
dog itself is also part of a larger group - mammals (and others - such
as quadrapeds...)
so where is 'meme' in all of this?
where *should* it be? this will depend on the reason one uses the meme
concept -what one wants it to do.
this is basic work, but it could help to distinguish between concepts
that are blurred and lead to more clarity in terms of a definition of
the word 'meme' if only in our own thinking.
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