Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id OAA18914 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 11 Dec 2000 14:27:22 GMT Message-ID: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745B82@inchna.stir.ac.uk> From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk> To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: virus: Psychological Profile of Hall Date: Mon, 11 Dec 2000 14:24:55 -0000 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
Let's say for a moment that you're right here, that people 'believe' in
information like this. Can one genuinely compare the belief in an
historical date to a religious faith? Is it merely a question of magnitude,
or is the nature of those "beliefs" intrinsically different?
Again, I think there is a difference, because you can write down, as you
have done in the post, a piece of information. A person's emotional
investment in that piece of information does not transmit with that
information. The 4th of July means a lot to a lot of Americans, the 14th to
the French, either date means bugger all to the British.
Besides, there's another difference as well. Belief in information can, at
least, be based on external evidence, religious belief requires faith in
the_absence_of evidence.
Vincent
> ----------
> From: Richard Brodie
> Reply To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Sent: Friday, December 8, 2000 5:16 pm
> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Subject: RE: virus: Psychological Profile of Hall
>
> Do you believe that the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4,
> 1776?
>
> Richard Brodie richard@brodietech.com www.liontales.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk [mailto:fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk]On Behalf Of
> Vincent Campbell
> Sent: Friday, December 08, 2000 8:38 AM
> To: 'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'
> Subject: RE: virus: Psychological Profile of Hall
>
> <So you're making the absurd claim that every human being figures
> out every
> > idea for himself without the aid of any other human beings?>
> >
> Not at all, but there's a qualitative difference between an idea
> and
> a belief. I agree with the notion that ideas transmit, but not that
> beliefs
> transmit. Creationists are aware of the idea of natural selection, but
> they
> don't believe it. Most evolutionary biologists are aware of religious
> ideas
> of creation, but don't believe them. The ideas have transmitted, the
> beliefs haven't.
>
> Beliefs are psychological/emotional responses to units of
> information, ideas are units of information. You can write down the
> theory
> of natural selection- write down Bhuddist belief.
>
> Vincent
>
> ===============================================================
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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
>
===============================================================
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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