From: Kate Distin (memes@distin.co.uk)
Date: Tue 12 Apr 2005 - 08:46:14 GMT
Derek Gatherer wrote:
>
>> Dennett in particular is fond of phrases like "the haven all memes
>> depend on reaching is the human mind" [Consciousness Explained, p.
>> 207, pbk]. Well, where does he think they hang out before they
>> "reach" a human mind?
>
>
> I think he thinks that they hang out in books and other artefactual
> media etc. But they need to get to minds because only there can they
> program for their further dissemination to more books, minds and so on.
> (I'm not advocating this, just expressing my interpretation of Dennett)
>
> Derek
>
I'd be happy to advocate this view - in that mental copies of memes are
the more "active" and copies that are written, recorded, etc. the more
"passive": meaning that the active ones have replicative advantages and
the passive ones have advantages of stability and persistence.
But before they get into books, etc. they have to start off in a human
mind. Ideas don't originate in books. My question to Dennett et al. is
where they do originate, if not in actual human minds.
Kate
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