Re: Darwinian evolution vs memetic evolution

From: Kenneth Van Oost (Kenneth.Van.Oost@village.uunet.be)
Date: Thu Feb 08 2001 - 20:42:48 GMT

  • Next message: Wade T.Smith: "Re: Darwinian evolution vs memetic evolution"

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    From: "Kenneth Van Oost" <Kenneth.Van.Oost@village.uunet.be>
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    Subject: Re: Darwinian evolution vs memetic evolution
    Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2001 21:42:48 +0100
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    ----- Original Message -----
    From: Wade T.Smith <wade_smith@harvard.edu>
    To: Memetics Discussion List <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
    Sent: Wednesday, February 07, 2001 12:41 AM
    Subject: Re: Darwinian evolution vs memetic evolution

    > Hi Bill Spight --
    >
    > >> And, IMHO, there is no such thing as Lamarckian evolution.
    > > Do you mean that evolution with the inheritance of acquired
    > >characteristics is not possible?

    > By which I mean that the Lamarckian mechanism doesn't happen in
    > evolution. Supplying characteristics that continue through replications
    > is a machination, not a process of life.
    > And any Lamarckian machinations that we achieve, like the macadam roadway
    > or the three-button suit, or, yup, the DNA-altered non-ulceritic middle
    > manager, won't occur naturally either.
    > There is nothing in evolution that guarantees any artifact of culture,
    > whether or not there is something in evolution that guarantees culture
    > itself.
    > But, I'm really nit-picking about the definition of evolution, because,
    > dammit, that's the way I am.

    << Hi Wade,

    I suppose you are considering here that the Lamarckian Evolution mecha-
    nism, if it does indeed exists, only would work on the cultural level and
    not
    on the genetic level !?
    IMO, there is nothing in evolution that guarantees that Lamarckian
    inheritable
    acquired characteristics don 't exist at all !!
    There is no prove that Lamarckian evolution is not a part of the process of
    life. If we consider that Memetic evolution has apparent Lamarckian quali-
    ties, like Able said, than Lamarckian evolution is part of the process of
    life
    and in that respect there must be " some " Lamarckian mechanism at work.

    Best,

    Kenneth

    ( I am, because we are)

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