From: Keith Henson (hkhenson@rogers.com)
Date: Mon 01 Dec 2003 - 13:48:53 GMT
At 08:22 PM 30/11/03 +0200, you wrote:
snip
>Could we be losing sight a little bit of what the theory of memetics is for?
>As I understand it, the theory is useful because it helps us understand
>cultural transmission of ideas (memes). Getting fiddly about when something
>exactly becomes a meme isn't that important (IMHO) because it stops helping
>us understand cultural transmission, which is what it's about in the first
>place. It's just like we talk about genes 'wanting' to replicate. It's great
>because it helps us understand natural selection, but only so long as in the
>back of our minds we remember that genes don't actually want anything. Just
>as 'want' is the genetics shorthand for 'organisms whose genes meet these
>qualifications will be more likely to survive and reproduce', the meme is a
>kind of shorthand to help us understand a semi-abstract concept.
>
>Anyway, that's my two cents. If I'm way off base then please correct me.
No, Danny, you are *exactly* on target.
Keith Henson
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