Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id MAA15078 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 30 Aug 2001 12:23:53 +0100 Subject: Re: Cichlids & Memes Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 07:21:18 -0400 x-sender: wsmith1@camail2.harvard.edu x-mailer: Claris Emailer 2.0v3, Claritas Est Veritas From: "Wade T.Smith" <wade_smith@harvard.edu> To: "Memetics Discussion List" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Message-ID: <20010830112118.AAA13425@camailp.harvard.edu@[205.240.180.126]> Sender: fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Hi Vincent Campbell -
>Of course whether fish really have culture or memes is, I suspect, a matter
>of some contention.
It's more a contention in some quarters to say, hmmm, with all these fish
and birds and other creatures employing behavioral algorithms, why should
we have any cause to claim _another_ mechanism (culture/memes) for our
behaviors- and could we then not say that culture is a complex formation
of these algorithms, and the admitted complication of language and
artifact-making? (Not to mention consciousness, but, that might be along
for the ride with language anyway.)
Perhaps it's more of a blunting of Occam to call into existence memes.
- Wade
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