From: M Lissack (lissacktravel@yahoo.com)
Date: Sat 24 Jan 2004 - 17:16:05 GMT
Kenneth:
It was Bruce who wrote that not I, but I agree with
him. How are you going to demonstrate an "in mind"
mechanism? You can assert that communication happens
but what in the world is an in mind mechanism? In the
absence of mechanism how do you distinguish between
the meme as replicator and meme as a sign of something
else which replicates? If you have no means of making
that distinction then the assertion that meme is a
replicator is just that naked assertion -- untestable
and merely tautological. Bruce's challenges are about
how memetics can progress from being regarded as
tautology.
For those on the list who are happy to reside within a
circle of tautological belief then my article is an
annoyance. For those who wish to have the field of
memetics be regarded as something over and above
belief Bruce's challenges remain to be answered.
But, Kenneth is the first person on the list to at
least suggest that he has a problem with Bruce's
challenges rather than merely reciting the "memetic
catechism"over and over again.
Van oost Kenneth <kennethvanoost@belgacom.net> wrote:
----- Original Message -----
From: M Lissack
Bruce's 3 Challenges
Challenge 1: A conclusive case study
The purpose of this is to clearly demonstrate that
there is at least one cultural process that is of an
evolutionary nature, where `evolutionary' is taken in
a narrow sense. This needs to be robust against
serious criticism. In my opinion this needs to achieve
the following as a minimum.
Exhibit a replicator mechanism - this needs to be
something physical and not in the mind.
Michael,
That some list- members have problems with your
article has far more to do with
what is written above ! That memetics is seen as a
replicative mechanism is far
beyond doubt, but for most it is process of and within
the mind.
That now, you suggest that the replicator mechanism (
of memes) is not in the
mind is something that some won 't strive upon.
Something to consider !?
Regards,
Kenneth
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