Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id TAA07213 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk); Wed, 19 Sep 2001 19:25:13 +0100 From: "Richard Brodie" <richard@brodietech.com> To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: Dawkins View Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2001 11:19:57 -0700 Message-ID: <JJEIIFOCALCJKOFDFAHBOELADHAA.richard@brodietech.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2911.0) X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2600.0000 Importance: Normal In-Reply-To: <1000916979.3ba8c7f3c7027@rugth1.phys.rug.nl> Sender: fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Think of it this way. Through evolution, humans developed a mechanism in
which contemplating self-sacrifice translates into action under certain
circumstances. Generations ago, those circumstances correlated well with kin
selection and so the mechanism was reinforced. Today, however, other
circumstances --- particularly cult manipulation --- activate that
mechanism.
Patriotism could also activate the same mechanism, good point.
-----Original Message-----
From: fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk [mailto:fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk]On Behalf Of
Philip Jonkers
Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2001 9:30 AM
To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Subject: RE: Dawkins View
Quoting Richard Brodie <richard@brodietech.com>:
> Philip:
>
> <<Call me stupid but whose relatives were saved
> when the passengers of UA93 heroically comitted suicide.
> For the life of me I can't imagine that the relatedness
> between passengers who bravely seized control
> and members of the White House is substantially non-vanishing.
> Surely some different mechanism must have propelled the
> passengers to attempt to take over control from the hijackers.
> Since Americans are so fond of their country (no offense),
> I'd advance Patriotism, as opposed to saving kin,
> as plausible memetic driving force.>>
>
> Read my other message again. You totally missed it.
Do you mean `pushing the psychological button' of kin-relatedness?
That is, hijackers saving their kin in homeland by self-sacrifice.
And passengers of UA93 seizing control and sactificing their
lifes in order to save their kin ostensiby? But isn't the latter
use of the psychological kin-buttom synonymous to patriotism,
for all practical purposes?
Or am I way away off-track now?
Philip.
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This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
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