Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id PAA29082 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Tue, 15 Aug 2000 15:00:02 +0100 Message-ID: <000c01c006c5$09a36100$5c0fbed4@default> From: "Kenneth Van Oost" <Kenneth.Van.Oost@village.uunet.be> To: "memetics" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: Science friction Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2000 16:22:00 +0200 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0007_01C006D4.F0AD5A60" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
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Dear all,
I am reading some stuff about Lamarckism in America in order to keep track
of a program on BBC World, called Creation, the historical struggle between
belief systems of religion and science.
There is something I quit don 't understand, though !!
How on earth gonna we (memetisists) convince American social scientists, and
in that respect the American people, to accept the concept of memetics, if...
1_ they find the evolutionary and biological stance of Darwinism evolution already
(politically) unacceptable and
2_ the apparent design of the concept of memetics is an evolutionary one !?
Of course, such a view is not inconsistent with a broad- minded view of a
supreme being. If God, in that case exists and have created the laws of
gravity, why should he have not created the laws of natural selection, that is_memes being part of that selection !?
Don 't forget, 65% of the yougsters in America beliefs that Adam and Eve were
created by God. Creationists are still looking for evidence...
America had in the past already a large amount of problems accepting Darwi-
nism as applied to man. The notion of Darwinism was weakened in concepts as
psychology, psychiatry, biology, neurology_they replaced it by a form of Lamarckism; Reform Lamarckism what in fact is a new form of Anti- Darwinism_ but anyway,how are we gonna convince those people to accept the concept of memes, if memetics is some significant part of the evolutionary view about consciousness !?
IMHO, if we could support memetics with Lamarckian views, we could convince
the Americans, but...
Telling the American people that now their mind etc. is full of memes which are
selfish in their being and doing contra their belief that God created it all !?
As one said, teaching evolution in the science- class !? It is theory not fact !!
And what about the notion that they accept evolution for animals and plants, but
see man as an acception !?
If, evolution in man was the production of mind, would that be consistent with their
American view !?
And in general, I always thought that Darwinian evolution theory was accepted
troughout most parts of the world, so in that respect, what about America then !?
Do I miss something or is the Darwinian evolution theory a great memeplex, a
belief system which contaiged my thoughts !?
In that respect, I am willing to suppose that Darwinian evolution theory is not so
" great " after all, so where is the man 's legacy coming from...!? And who is
doing the honours here...and for what !? To keep the beliefsystem upright !?
Against what !? Lamarckism !?
Regards,
Kenneth
( I am, because we are) wondering around
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