From: Ray Recchia (rrecchia@mail.clarityconnect.com)
Date: Wed 28 May 2003 - 17:40:48 GMT
> > Of Wade T. Smith
> > Sent: Wed, May 28, 2003 11:08 AM
> > To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> > Subject: back to basics
> >
> >
> >
> > On Wednesday, May 28, 2003, at 09:01 AM, Richard wrote:
> >
> > > That's the definition of memetics.
> >
> > "Memetics can be defined as an approach trying to model the evolution
> > of memes." (http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/MEMES.html)
> >
> > Indeed, the vicious circle involved in the definition of memetics
> > requires that the meme be not only present, but fully accounted for.
> >
> > And, IMHO, it ain't.
> >
Yawn.
We've done this one and done this one. Biology can be defined as the
study of life, but it seems to have been a very successful pursuit
without a precise definition of the term "life".
The reverse tautology is probably more appropriate. Why would you need
to study something if you knew what it was?
But even that isn't correct, because we even if we do have a precise
definition there can still be fun things to learn. Better just to ignore
word games like this altogether.
Ray Recchia
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