Re: Gender bias for memes

From: Kenneth Van Oost (Kenneth.Van.Oost@village.uunet.be)
Date: Fri Jul 28 2000 - 20:03:43 BST

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    From: "Kenneth Van Oost" <Kenneth.Van.Oost@village.uunet.be>
    To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
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    Subject: Re: Gender bias for memes
    Date: Fri, 28 Jul 2000 21:03:43 +0200
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    Vincent,

    Agreed !!
    Lets go back to ' Memes and Sexuality '.
    I will post tomorrow the info about those X1- witnesses.
    See post Monday 24 july 2000.
    Untill then !!

    Many regards,

    Kenneth

    (I am, because we are)

    ----- Original Message -----
    From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk>
    To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
    Sent: Friday, July 28, 2000 3:20 PM
    Subject: RE: Gender bias for memes

    > Kenneth,
    >
    > Having waded through the last set of insults thrown by both Joe and Chris,
    I
    > take back my last comment. It isn't fun anymore, more like what might
    > happen at a Mensa kindergarten, (only less mature).
    >
    > I agree with you, perhaps we should just let them get on with it between
    > themselves while the rest of us continue to try and exchange ideas in a
    more
    > cordial manner. Perhaps then the list will look less like an unusually
    > highbrow edition of the Jerry Springer show!
    >
    > Vincent
    >
    >
    >
    > > ----------
    > > From: Kenneth Van Oost
    > > Reply To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
    > > Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2000 8:12 pm
    > > To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
    > > Subject: Re: Gender bias for memes
    > >
    > > Vincent, for the time being, I let this rest !! Sorry !!
    > > Convince me !
    > >
    > > Regards,
    > >
    > > Kenneth
    > >
    > > (I am, because we are)
    > > ----- Original Message -----
    > > From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk>
    > > To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
    > > Sent: Monday, July 24, 2000 4:13 PM
    > > Subject: RE: Gender bias for memes
    > >
    > >
    > > > I know, I know, I said I'd let this one lie. But just as I decided to
    > > do
    > > > that, it became interesting again!
    > > >
    > > > I don't agree with this division of Joe and Chris' positions at all.
    I
    > > > don't see gendered differences in their manner of debating, only
    > > differences
    > > > in their ability to make arguments.
    > > >
    > > > Chris has two basic responses to any criticism. 1) to repeat, in just
    > > as
    > > > much detail, previous posts; 2) to say 'look at my website'. In other
    > > > words, Chris' responses are self-referential, and persistently so.
    > > Chris'
    > > > theory is self-sustaining, and this is one of the things that bothers
    me
    > > > about it. Any theory is only a model of how things are, a
    > > simplification,
    > > > so claims of absolute correctness should always be under suspicion.
    > > >
    > > > Or, am I in a minority to regard with suspicion the response to a
    > > criticism
    > > > with 'Have a look at what I've written..'?
    > > >
    > > > Take for example one of Chris' asumptions, that there is a false
    > > distinction
    > > > between 'in here' and 'out there', with everything we think we know
    and
    > > > understand about 'out there' actually coming from 'in here'. OK-
    where
    > > is
    > > > 'in here'? 'In here' is the human brain, which actually exists 'out
    > > there',
    > > > as physical matter in the universe, otherwise it wouldn't be possible
    to
    > > > have an 'in here', which is therefore a product of 'out there'. So,
    > > where
    > > > does the fundamentality lie in such a distinction- or rather where's
    the
    > > > evidence to justify making such a distinction? (The denial of 'out
    > > there'
    > > as
    > > > being entirely constructed by 'in here' sounds like someone trying to
    > > come
    > > > to terms with having spent time as a mercenary, and pretending that it
    > > > didn't 'really' happen.)
    > > >
    > > > I see no problem with regarding the I-Ching or any other number of
    > > ancient
    > > > (or modern) numerological or other kinds of systems reflecting
    elements
    > > of
    > > > brain structure, and thus offering a reason why people find meaning in
    > > them.
    > > > Where I see a problem is in trying to claim that because of this, such
    > > > systems are therefore genuinely meaningful, or as meaningful as
    systems
    > > > which make accurate associations between cause and effect, and make
    > > accurate
    > > > predictions about external phenomena.
    > > >
    > > > A good example would be Tarot cards. Now, I've no idea if Tarot cards
    > > fit
    > > > Chris' system or not, no doubt he'd say they do. The actual use of
    > > tarot
    > > > cards, however, is a mixture of cold-reading, and sleight of hand. In
    > > other
    > > > words, meaning for people doesn't come from some innate structure in
    > > their
    > > > brain that is reflected by the cards, but by the card readers' ability
    > > to
    > > > fix the cards to come out in a pattern that fits the information they
    > > have
    > > > extracted from the subject in other ways. Indeed, for the
    particularly
    > > > unscrupulous card reader, and the particularly gullible subject, the
    > > reader
    > > > doesn't even have to stack the deck, as they can make up the meaning
    of
    > > the
    > > > cards as they see fit- the best one being that the 'death' card
    doesn't
    > > > necessarily mean death. The subject doesn't care what's going on as
    > > long
    > > as
    > > > the reader gives them the illusion of control over their future, which
    > > is
    > > > what people want. (Another example would be people who walk on hot
    coals
    > > > with the aim of beating terminal diseases- it's the illusion of
    control
    > > > again, this time fostered by the incorrect notion that walking on hot
    > > coals
    > > > shouldn't be possible, so if you can do that you can take control of
    > > things
    > > > like cancer).
    > > >
    > > > Let the debate continue though, it is fun.
    > > >
    > > > Vincent
    > > >
    > > >
    > > >
    > > >
    > > >
    > > > > ----------
    > > > > From: Kenneth Van Oost
    > > > > Reply To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
    > > > > Sent: Sunday, July 23, 2000 4:36 pm
    > > > > To: memetics
    > > > > Subject: Gender bias for memes
    > > > >
    > > > > Come on boys, let 's stick together,
    > > > >
    > > > > Joe
    > > > > Chris
    > > > >
    > > > > male (order) female
    > > > > (change)
    > > > > consensus,
    > > opportunistic
    > > > >
    > > > > (any perceived weakness in the other (likes the feedback)
    > > > > party is jumped-upon, like the claim
    > > > > Joe makes that Chris violates his own
    > > > > propounded rules)
    > > > >
    > > > > action,
    > > language,
    > > > >
    > > > > ( 'attacks ' with words_reacts without (is likely to explain
    > > > > things,
    > > > > thought of consequence ) is more context
    > > aware,
    > > > > '
    knows
    > > '
    > > > > his stuff )
    > > > >
    > > > > sameness,
    > > > >
    > > > > " trying to make logical sense out of your
    > > > > (Chris) screeds... " is IMHO (Kenneth) a
    > > > > statement likely close to what is by the
    > > > > ' general ' understood for logic. The defi-
    > > > > nition of the term which Joe apllies is
    > > > > violated by Chris, so joe strikes back.
    > > > >
    > > > > Joe, you have to admit, ' accusing ' Chris that his politeness
    > > dropped
    > > > > like a
    > > > > rock and challenging his concepten in that way (without any attempt
    to
    > > > > dis-
    > > > > cuss the matter) is IMHO_ even fundamentalistic. And expecting as
    > > much,
    > > > > betrays a prejudice.
    > > > >
    > > > > But anyone on this list who has gotten the idea re left/right;
    > > sameness/
    > > > > diffe-
    > > > > rence must be excited_you and Chris are proovin ' ' live ' that
    there
    > > is
    > > > > a gen-
    > > > > der bias for memes.
    > > > > Look at your posts, they stand full of male/ female formulas,
    > > responses,
    > > > > ex-
    > > > > pressions...
    > > > >
    > > > > We better argue what is the usefull truth of such arguments...in the
    > > > > context
    > > > > of the subject please...
    > > > >
    > > > > Regards,
    > > > >
    > > > > Kenneth
    > > > >
    > > > > (I am, because we are) disappointed
    > > > >
    > > >
    > > > ===============================================================
    > > > This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
    > > > Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
    > > > For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
    > > > see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
    > > >
    > > >
    > >
    > >
    > > ===============================================================
    > > This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
    > > Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
    > > For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
    > > see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
    > >
    >
    > ===============================================================
    > This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
    > Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
    > For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
    > see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
    >
    >

    ===============================================================
    This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
    Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
    For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
    see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit



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