Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id GAA23859 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 1 Feb 2001 06:03:09 GMT X-Originating-IP: [209.240.221.54] From: "Scott Chase" <ecphoric@hotmail.com> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: Memes and emotions Date: Thu, 01 Feb 2001 01:00:17 -0500 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Message-ID: <F93rRjbDt3HvoFOAmEa000050bd@hotmail.com> X-OriginalArrivalTime: 01 Feb 2001 06:00:17.0800 (UTC) FILETIME=[40A28080:01C08C14] Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>From: Ray Recchia <rrecchia@mail.clarityconnect.com>
>Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>Subject: Re: Memes and emotions
>Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001 01:43:58 -0500
>
>When I was a child I was taught that there were 5 taxonomic kingdoms -
>bacteria,protozoa,plants,animals and fungi. Later, they decided they
>decided certain organisms put in the same category as bacteria were much
>different than their relatives, so they added another layer and we ended up
>with Domains of Eucarya, Bacteria, and Archaea. With memes, I wonder
>whether we can add yet another layer of living organism on top of Domains -
>call it the Empires of Memes and Genes.
>
Yipes. I wouldn't support the idea of "memes" as living organisms and I
hardly think they deserve their own taxonomic designation.
>
>I like to think of humans as genetic organisms in symbiosis with memetic
>organisms much like our ancestor protozoans that became the host for
>mitochondrial bacteria.
>
Well, at least mitochondria are tangible.
I don't see much of a chasm between humans and other apes (other chimps
even- sensu Jared Diamond??). Mayr (in _This is Biology_) contrasts
Diamond's "third chimp" view with that of Julian Huxley who erected a
separate kingdom for humans called Psychozoa. Maybe you might call your
memetic organisms "psychozoans".
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