Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id XAA19742 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 14 Sep 2000 23:22:16 +0100 Message-Id: <200009142219.SAA18457@mail3.lig.bellsouth.net> From: "Joe E. Dees" <joedees@bellsouth.net> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2000 17:24:31 -0500 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: Re: The problem with the belief that one is enlightened In-reply-to: <EDBBDHLKPOIBDAAA@my-deja.com> X-mailer: Pegasus Mail for Win32 (v3.01b) Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Date sent: Thu, 14 Sep 2000 15:00:00 -0700
From: "Scott Chase" <hemidactylus@my-Deja.com>
Subject: Re: The problem with the belief that one is enlightened
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Send reply to: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>
> --
>
> On Thu, 14 Sep 2000 00:25:27 Joe E. Dees wrote:
> > The problem with the belief that one is enlightened, i.e. that one
> >understands all, or at least the basic underpinnings of all, at the
> >fundamental level, is that such people tend to become
> >impermeable to subsequent learning by virtue of their erroneous
> >belief that they already know or understand it all. It is an excellent
> >defensive memeplex device, as it acts to foreclose the possibility
> >that the "enlightened one" will seriously consider facts or
> >perspectives that might invalidate or obviate their present grok-level,
> >or even indeed offer the possibility that it might benefit from
> >evolutionary elaboration in the light of subsequently discovered
> >facts or refined understandings. If you already think that you know
> >or understand it all, the attempt to learn more becomes a useless
> >exercise.
> >
> This could be a critique which cuts both ways, both against mysticism and against science. What happens when a healthy respect for a scientific perspective becomes elevated into the realm of scientism? Critical views yield to crystallization and the possibility of stagnation into dogma. What
awakens one from their dogmatic slumber? Will they actively search for the elixir?
>
> Or what happens when followers of a certain scientific perspective apotheosize their favorite author(s) into an exalted and uncriticizable position as the all-knowing one(s)? Or on another possible vector what happens when schisms develop over how the sacred texts shall be interpreted?;-)
>
In such cases, people are betraying the principles of scientific
inquiry (for instance, the verification principle and popperian
falsifiability) by approaching such an inquiry's (forever provisional
and subject to falsification, elaboration and/or modification)
products in an absolutistically religious way, as Received Gospel
or Holy Writ. Any topic or position can be attitudinally enshrined
this way; it is the attitude that is at fault - the system to which it is
applied may or may not be meaningless or erroneous or useful and
veridical.
>
> Yes, this is partly in jest, but there's a kernel of truth in there somewhere. Darwiniana and Dawkins-mania do abound.
>
One should indeed maintain critical distance and avoid
acolytehood. It is regrettably common for all kinds of people,
religious or not, to be made into other peoples' gurus and placed
upon pedestals by them, even when the candidate gurus would not
wish same.
>
> >BTW, Dawkins coined the word 'meme'; does anyone know who
> >coined the word 'memeplex'?
> >
> >
> I'm still stuck back at the previous fin de siecle and on the mneme. I'll need to catch up with the times a little.
>
> Scott
>
>
> --== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==--
> Before you buy.
>
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This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
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For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
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