Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id JAA25833 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Fri, 10 Nov 2000 09:26:55 GMT Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 09:17:38 +0000 To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: What is Meaning Message-ID: <20001110091738.A1094@reborntechnology.co.uk> References: <20001109133230.AAA9926@camailp.harvard.edu@[128.103.125.215]> <Pine.BSO.4.21.0011091209110.19346-200000@shellac.militant.org> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.2.5i In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSO.4.21.0011091209110.19346-200000@shellac.militant.org>; from nathan@militant.org on Thu, Nov 09, 2000 at 12:56:19PM -0800 From: Robin Faichney <robin@reborntechnology.co.uk> Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
On Thu, Nov 09, 2000 at 12:56:19PM -0800, Nathan wrote:
> Greetings everyone, I've been reading the list for some time, but this is
> my first posting to it.
Hi Nathan -
There's a lot can be said about meaning. I like Wittgenstein's
formulation, whereby the meaning of a word or phrase etc is its use in a
particular context. If you know how to use it, you know what it means,
otherwise not. This is simple and it covers the ground. It also happens
to tie in with a "deeper", more technical philosophical/psychological
perspective, viewing meaning as a particular form of encoding of
information.
<snip>
> I see the process of belief as a process of self-deceptoin.
> Basically it's a vehicle by which ideas can gain control over
> people's minds and therefore their lives. Beliefs dictate precise
> parameters of people's conciousness of their behavior and
> perceptoins. A belief paints the world in its own image.
>
> - Barry Alfonso, from an interview in Re/Search #11 - Pranks
This is exactly how I see it. To believe in something is to give that
meme the upper hand. All we need at most are "working hypotheses", which
are held only as long as, and to the extent that, they continue to work.
That is, memes under control. But we have to monitor that all the time.
The price of freedom from memetic domination is constant vigilance!
This Barry Alfonso seems an interesting chap. I can feel a web search
coming on...
-- Robin Faichney robin@reborntechnology.co.uk=============================================================== 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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