Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id TAA07257 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 5 Apr 2001 19:54:16 +0100 Message-ID: <001101c0be06$a97a0000$1908bed4@default> From: "Kenneth Van Oost" <Kenneth.Van.Oost@village.uunet.be> To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> References: <E14j0vU-000GsE-00@gaea> <002901c0bbb0$f2000660$b902bed4@default><3AC8E1B1.33BCD878@clara.co.uk> <001101c0bc77$1fa65b20$0307bed4@default><3ACA3B58.F9D77350@clara.co.uk> <002101c0bd40$443d5280$820abed4@default> Subject: Re: taboos Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 21:27:41 +0200 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Hi Douglas,
> You wrote,
> I'm interested in how public myths survive in societies even when
> they are contradicted by empirical evidence. An example - the American
> self-myth about themselves as the most democratic nation in the world -
> but there is evidence to suggest they aren't a democracy at all, at least
in
> the way they see themselves. Outsiders can see a society's
contradictions,
> which those within a society cannot.
<< I wish to come back on this issue, because in a way I do the same
research as you do. But, like you started off in the field of law, I like to
work on a more philosophical/ psychological level.
Are you also interested in contradictions tout court !?
Let me give you an example of what kind of research I am interested in.
A female lawyer, a ex- Miss Belgium, gets into trouble with the board of
lawyers because she said in a interview that she likes to wear mini skirts
en hot pants. The chairman of the board had wished that he could expell
her from the board as a practical lawyer because she and her actions were
not in conformity with the boards regulations.
The discussion went as far as the civil courtroom, she won by the way.
IMO this is a very interested field for exploration according to use
memetics as a tool to do so.
To come back on the issue mentioned above, IMO the contradiction is
here the lawyers ethos/ ethics ( how to behave as a lawyer) and how you
will present yourself as an individual. As you present yourself as an
individual
as the female lawyer did and your work as a lawyer is ok, than I don 't see
any reason to expell her from the board. But, the board of lawyers has
presumably other ideas about the situation.
In the courtroom the lawyer for the defense, and in the end the judges
themselves did not find any evidence that the female lawyer misbehaved
herself or that her work has suffered in either way...good or bad.
For the sake of memetics, IMO again this is a very interesting area, due
to the fact of what evolves, what gets transmitted, how and why.
These contradictions may not have to be seen by outsiders, maybe by people
outside the field, we as the public can see them easily and laugh about
them.
But, IMO, these are serious matters to deal with if you are in the middle
of the discussion.
Best,
Kenneth
( I am, because we are)
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