Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id TAA09365 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 5 Feb 2001 19:24:26 GMT Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 19:05:34 +0000 To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: Darwinian evolution vs memetic evolution Message-ID: <20010205190534.A763@reborntechnology.co.uk> References: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745C35@inchna.stir.ac.uk> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.3.12i In-Reply-To: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745C35@inchna.stir.ac.uk>; from v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk on Mon, Feb 05, 2001 at 02:45:49PM -0000 From: Robin Faichney <robin@reborntechnology.co.uk> Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
On Mon, Feb 05, 2001 at 02:45:49PM -0000, Vincent Campbell wrote:
> >> Seeing free will or choice as the determinant of memes thus
> is not
> > >> the full picture.
> >
> <I think it's worth noting, even if you don't agree, that some, such
> as
> > Blackmore, would suggest that it's memes that give (the illusion of)
> > free will.>
> >
> I agree that is worth noting, and for my money one is also one of
> the most interesting things Blackmore's book says. I'm not sure I agree
> with her position, but I've always been rather suspicious of free will.
I'm an absolutely convinced compatabilist, myself. When the concepts
are properly understood, and differences between alternative explanatory
frameworks are fully realised, the naive realist position that free will
has to be either an objective fact or pure illusion is left far behind --
we can see that we're free in some senses and not in others.
But to come back to memetics, Dawkins introduced the meme to explain
behaviour that cannot be explained genetically, and the potential
explanatory power of that concept is too great to allow any diversion
onto other tracks: the meme-gene axis cannot be defeated! But we remain
free to avert our eyes. ;-)
PS I'm sure that everyone on the list will be thrilled to learn that
Robin's Information website will be available again Real Soon Now!
(Meanwhile, don't bother to visit www.reborntechnology.co.uk. One of
the reasons Information isn't going back online immediately is a delay
regarding the new domain name.)
-- 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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