Re: reply to Benzon

From: joedees@bellsouth.net
Date: Fri 23 May 2003 - 19:44:52 GMT

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    >
    > On Friday, May 23, 2003, at 02:43 PM, Richard wrote:
    >
    > > What exactly is "non-menatlist" memetics? Do you have a model of
    > > cultural evolution that does not involve minds?
    >
    > I can't speak for Bill, but what I understand as his (and my) meaning
    > of 'non-mentalist' is simply any theory of cultural evolution
    > (memetics) that does not demand any specific or necessary unit of
    > mental agency called the 'meme' which resides in a brain.
    >
    > That is to say, any theory that requires the mental non-residency of
    > the quantum memetic unit, which is, by convention of definition, to be
    > called the meme. The smallest possible replicator.
    >
    > A theory of memetics that involves only artifacts is a non-mentalist
    > theory. The performance theory is another. Gatherer's memes, or
    > G-memes, are non-mental. Bill's phemotype (cultural phenotype) theory
    > is another.
    >
    > All these theories get most of the work done, but some of them are
    > trimmer and lighter on their feet.
    >
    None of them are able to explain how differing transmiitter performances can lead to indistinguishable recipient behaviors in response..
    >
    > - Wade
    >
    >
    > ===============================================================
    > 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 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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