Re: the conscious universe: subjectivity/objectivity of beliefs

From: Lawrence de Bivort (debivort@umd5.umd.edu)
Date: Mon Oct 09 2000 - 16:32:12 BST

  • Next message: Lawrence H. de Bivort: "Re: Sin"

    Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id QAA01871 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 9 Oct 2000 16:33:36 +0100
    Message-ID: <008401c03206$1b23d6a0$9863b8d0@default>
    From: "Lawrence de Bivort" <debivort@umd5.umd.edu>
    To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
    References: <200010080134.VAA17800@mail4.lig.bellsouth.net>
    Subject: Re: the conscious universe: subjectivity/objectivity of beliefs
    Date: Mon, 9 Oct 2000 11:32:12 -0400
    Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
    Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
    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
    

    From: Joe E. Dees <joedees@bellsouth.net>

    Lawrence:
    > > The neural basis of ideas, I would suggest, is no more significant for
    memes
    > > than it is for non-memetic ideas, and so I find the neural elements of
    memes
    > > not particularly or intrinsically interesting when it comes to studying
    > > memes and their workings.

    Joe:
    > The difference is one of perspective - first-person vs. third-person -
    > upon the same phenomenon. My ideas are objective to me, as
    > they are objects of my mental attention/intention. That which is
    > called subjective is objective to the subject. There is no absolute
    > objectivity; only intersubjective agreement.

    Yes, agreed. In my classes, I use the term "subjective reality" to refer to
    the internal processes of perceiving, pattern-recognition, thinking and
    decision-making. This is as 'real' to the individual as anything, yet is so
    intensely idiosyncratic to that individual that it appears 'subjective' to
    observers of that individual. One of my interests is how, then, the observer
    can himself perceive and understand what is going on in another person's
    "subjective reality." We see each other through the lenses of our own
    "subjective realities." We can reduce the degree of falsifying subjectivity
    by listening and observing with greater skill and a wider range of
    distinctions, and we can make better sense of it all -- get a better sense
    of the structure of another person's subjective reality -- with better
    models of what goes on when another person thinks, makes judgements, and
    makes decisions.

    - Lawrence

    ===============================================================
    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 archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Oct 09 2000 - 16:35:02 BST