Re: The Status of Memetics as a Science

From: J. R. Molloy (jr@shasta.com)
Date: Fri Apr 20 2001 - 00:54:41 BST

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    From: "J. R. Molloy" <jr@shasta.com>
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    Subject: Re: The Status of Memetics as a Science
    Date: Thu, 19 Apr 2001 16:54:41 -0700
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    From: "Lawrence DeBivort" <debivort@umd5.umd.edu>
    > I find little difficulty in distinguishing religion from memetics. Memetics
    > models and tracks the spread of ideas and beliefs. Religion is composed of
    > beliefs (whether they are 'correct' or not). At a mimimum, then, memetics is
    > meta to religion.

    In further support of your excellent comments, I'd add that memetics is to
    religion as science is to faith.

    > The only danger I can see to memetics (other than that it might be poorly
    > done and waste time) is that it might give rise to an engineering
    > application that might be misused ethically or socially.

    How so? How does engineering relate to memetics?

    --J. R.

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