From: Wade T. Smith (wade.t.smith@verizon.net)
Date: Fri 06 Jun 2003 - 13:55:50 GMT
Richard wrote:
> Memetics studies how the future is influenced by differential
> selection of replicating cultural elements.
And, moments before, Lawry wrote:
> Memes, [dare I say he means 'memetics'], in our PoV, is much more
> about influence than either (conscious, considered) understanding, or
> (reactive, unprocessed) mimicry.
And, right now, I write:
The performance model is quite happy with these two statements, as both
are part of its matrix, and can manage them with ease. The future,
however, is both malleable and inscrutable, as the aleatory is a deeper
part of nature than culture, and the instinctual is only mildly
understood. There is no reason memetics needs to study only what will
be, as it is contains a darwinian engine, which is all about moving
what happened before within the conditions of the present, than about
what will be. Indeed, I truly doubt there is any darwinian mechanism
that can 'predict' the future of a species. This was the main error of
Lamarck, considering such effects.
- Wade
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