Re: Darwinian evolution vs memetic evolution

From: Wade T.Smith (wade_smith@harvard.edu)
Date: Tue Feb 06 2001 - 20:20:35 GMT

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    Subject: Re: Darwinian evolution vs memetic evolution
    Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 15:20:35 -0500
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    On 02/06/01 14:09, joedees@bellsouth.net said this-

    > We imperfectly yet pretty well can filter the
    >virulents from the symbionts once we have a modicum of
    >experience in the world and learn the Bad Tricks (with apologies to
    >Daniel Dennett), which is why so many memeplexes, particularly
    >religious, political, racial, and gender biases and prejudices, have
    >evolved subcomponents which influence parents to infect their kids
    >before resistance can set in.

    It is this 'modicum of experience in the world' and 'before resistance
    can set in' which are the social substrates of freedom.

    Freedom is a societal and developmental condition- otherwise, all things
    are free. (Although, as B. Dylan would remind us, birds are never free
    from the skyway.)

    And no, not only collegians are so blessed- but the fact that they are in
    college is a rare and special event in the history of this world, wherein
    they may get this modicum of experience.

    There are precious few children given these opportunities.

    - Wade

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