From: Keith Henson (hkhenson@rogers.com)
Date: Thu 05 Feb 2004 - 01:49:53 GMT
At 01:49 PM 04/02/04 -0800, Ted wrote:
snip
>Bruce recognizes the importance of case studies and requests one definitive
>example.
The Second Ed of _Selfish Gene_ Dawkins put in an example case, and plots
the data from the cumulative cites of one of Hamilton's papers, pages
325-327. The data fits a straight line on log paper just as expected.
>He also insists that we narrow the field by identifying where,
>specifically, the memetics model applies. I fully agree. I think the chief
>reason for the failure of memetics to be widely accepted as a science is its
>attempt to reduce all of culture to a memetic struggle for survival (and the
>corresponding illusion that this can render the study of culture into a
>"hard" science).
I can't think of anyone who takes this hard a line. We know of cultures
have been taken down by external physical events, others that have been
massively affected by disease or changes in climate.
Keith Henson
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