Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id OAA25788 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 15 Feb 2001 14:11:16 GMT Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2001 13:59:20 +0000 To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: Darwinian evolution vs memetic evolution Message-ID: <20010215135920.A619@reborntechnology.co.uk> References: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745C73@inchna.stir.ac.uk> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.3.12i In-Reply-To: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745C73@inchna.stir.ac.uk>; from v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk on Thu, Feb 15, 2001 at 01:26:18PM -0000 From: Robin Faichney <robin@reborntechnology.co.uk> Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
On Thu, Feb 15, 2001 at 01:26:18PM -0000, Vincent Campbell wrote:
>
> The problem for memetics, perhaps, is that such things may be
> explainable simply in terms of individual and social psychology, with no
> need for memes at all.
Beep! False dichotomy. This really needs sorting out. Memetics and
psychology are different explanations, but they are NOT mutually
exclusive! Psychology is one (large) sector of the environment in which
memes survive or not as the case may be.
Memetics can't explain anything that can't already be explained
without it. What it can do is give us a handle on these things at a
higher level of abstraction, another angle. In the most objective terms,
neither the longevity of items of information (genes and memes) nor the
well-being of any individual or species or ecosystem really matters.
But we find it useful, for different purposes, to think and act as if
one of these things did matter, which particular thing depending on what
we're wanting to achieve at the time.
I could go on, but I have to go do other things now, and I may as
well see how people react to that, so I can address issues that arise
appropriately.
See you later!
-- 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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