Re: Darwinian evolution vs memetic evolution

From: Wade T.Smith (wade_smith@harvard.edu)
Date: Thu Feb 15 2001 - 02:16:02 GMT

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Subject: Re: Darwinian evolution vs memetic evolution
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 21:16:02 -0500
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From: "Wade T.Smith" <wade_smith@harvard.edu>
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    Hi Bill Spight -

    >It is a
    >form that is more fit for its environment.

    Hmmm. Says who? And just what environment is that for which one form is
    more fitted than another...?

    You see the quandary I'm in with all this alterating and environment
    stuff. How is memetic fit defined? What is the environment that it
    (whatever it is) needs to 'fit' into? How is this not a chicken/egg
    question? In what way can it be said that memes are products of their
    environment when we here are most certainly saying that, since they are
    cultural entities, it is tricky ground indeed to start to discuss where
    environment and genetics divide, if they divide at all.

    - Wade

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