Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id MAA19287 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 15 Mar 2001 12:27:12 GMT Message-ID: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745CD7@inchna.stir.ac.uk> From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk> To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: Toggling nature's auto-erase Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 12:24:02 -0000 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) Content-Type: text/plain Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>> Wade T.Smith wrote:
>> - to the point of which I have declared, manifesto-like, "To a
life
> >> without memes!" which, to me, is a utopian and ideal state...
>
<You might be surprised to learn that Sue Blackmore and I are in
complete
> agreement with you on that. Of course, we equate memelessness with
> Enlightenment, which you probably don't. But then, what does that tell
> us, other than that your concept of Enlightenment differs from ours?>
>
>
Call me a memebot if you like, but I'm suspicious of this kind of
view for a few reasons, which I'll pose as questions.
First, is it really possible to be meme-free, and be a person
capable of social interaction? In other words does not being free of memes
does that not meme foregoing social interaction, which is inherently shaped
by the culture in which one lives?
Second, do people really mean they want to be meme-free, or only
free of those memes they don't like? For example, Blackmore talks a lot
about freeing oneself from memes whilst implicitly indicating her support
for buhhdism memes. Isn't that actually contradictory?
Third, the whole notion of freeing oneself from memes implies that
memes are universally malevolent, that they do harm to people, but is this
really the case? (I know this is a well worn area, but I think if people are
stating the aim to be meme-free, they need to demonstrate this.)
I think the only option is to critically examine everything we think
we believe and know, and to do so continually, and to treat challenges to
our beliefs and knowledge with due consideration. This does not mean that
we won't be subject to memes, but some of them may have positive social and
personal consequences. I don't see how anyone would actually benefit
personally or socially from being completely meme-free.
I suppose my arguments rest on the value of social interaction.
It's quite clear that we are a social species, and isolationism of any kind
would seem to me to deny an essential aspect of human existence. If being
part of a social system means being subject to memes then I'd rather have
that.
Vincent
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