Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id LAA08318 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 12 Oct 2000 11:36:00 +0100 Message-ID: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745A94@inchna.stir.ac.uk> From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk> To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: memetic or genetic laziness Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2000 11:33:28 +0100 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) Content-Type: text/plain Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Aren't other animals capable of laziness, or idleness perhaps?
For example, male lions do very little but fight for mates, and mate, the
hunting is done by the females, as is the rearing of young. Would it be
wrong to see the male lions' use of their 'spare' time as laziness if they
simply lie around and sleep (which I believe they do for the majority of
hours in the day)?
I've also seen (on TV documentaries) chimps seem capable of acts that imply
they haven't anything 'better' to do (i.e. feeding, fighting, mating,
cementing social bonds by grooming etc.), including a remarkable scene in
which a chimp appeared to simply be watching the flowing water of a stream
rush over their hand in the sunlight. Also there are occasions, such as
during heavy rainfall, where there's little for the chimps to do but to try
and get under a bit of cover and avoid getting wet.
Perhaps a related question is the origins of boredom, but I suspect this too
could have its pre-cursors in other animals' behaviour.
Vincent
> ----------
> From: phil066@it.canterbury.ac.nz
> Reply To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2000 11:08 pm
> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Subject: memetic or genetic laziness
>
>
> >It's totally and completely and only laziness, Tim.
> >
> >- Wade (who is prone, he admits)
>
> I am interested in whether traits such as laziness are memetic or genetic.
> Our ancestors might have had some survival difficulties if laziness was a
> biologically endowed trait, so I think it might be a socially acquired
> behavior. But where would such a behavior have its origin?
>
> Brent.
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Brent Silby
> Room 601a
> Department of Philosophy
> University of Canterbury
> New Zealand
>
> ______________________________________________________________
>
>
>
> ===============================================================
> This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
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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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