Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id QAA16201 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 10 Sep 2001 16:30:47 +0100 From: Philip Jonkers <P.A.E.Jonkers@phys.rug.nl> X-Authentication-Warning: rugth1.phys.rug.nl: www-data set sender to jonkers@localhost using -f To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: Books please... (thank-you note) Message-ID: <1000135576.3b9cdb98b4322@rugth1.phys.rug.nl> Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 17:26:16 +0200 (CEST) References: <NEBBKOADILIOKGDJLPMAIEOGCFAA.debivort@umd5.umd.edu> <3B950BB4.DE5E703F@bioinf.man.ac.uk> <999696204.3b96274ca66bc@rugth1.phys.rug.nl> In-Reply-To: <999696204.3b96274ca66bc@rugth1.phys.rug.nl> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit User-Agent: IMP/PHP IMAP webmail program 2.2.5 X-Originating-IP: 129.125.13.3 Sender: fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Thanks a lot Mark, Vincent, Chris, Virginia, Scott, TJ and Ted,
for answering to my question.
I will take all of your recommendations to heart. This means,
I'd be off the street for, at least, far into next year.
Hi Vincent,
with reading the Meme-Machine having a high impact on me, and
this being also to reason for joining this group,
I'm curious to know what things you don't like about it.
To deny that culture does not evolve seems to me testimony of
either foolishness or ignorance. Examples of cultural
evolutionary elements abound: means of transport, technological
inventions, computers, law, medicine, science, weapons of war, ....
I presume we all agree on this evolutionary side of culture and
hence memetics is plausible on this count.
The problem about memetics that keeps recurring to me reminds
of me of the trade as started off myself: quantum mechanics.
I am referring to interpretation. After 75 years of hot debate,
there is has not yet been reached a consensus on how to
interpret unambiguously the results of QM. This is because the
interpretation is not (yet) experimentally verifiable.
As long as its interpretation is metaphysical multiple
alternative interpretations can roam freely.
To be honest, I have some difficulties myself with accepting the
meme-eye's view of memetics to be its correct interpretation.
One of the problems being, I think, that it tends to regard
humans as mere carriers and transmitters of memes devoid of will
when clearly culture is maintained by people and thus being
responsible for its directions.
Anyway, I will return to the subject of interpretation of
memetics later on. If you have some other points of difficulty
mentioned in the Meme-machine please let me/us know Vincent.
Phil.
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