Re: Dawkins View

From: AaronLynch@aol.com
Date: Sat Sep 22 2001 - 19:59:37 BST

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    From: <AaronLynch@aol.com>
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    Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2001 14:59:37 EDT
    Subject: Re: Dawkins View
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    Missing from Dawkins's article is any use of the word "meme" or any mention
    of evolutionary cultural replicator theory. His article therefore does not
    give a sense of the foresight or explanatory power offered by evolutionary
    cultural replicator theory.

    However, in an earlier piece that pre-dated the September 11 attack by over a
    year, I discussed religiously driven mass violence at a workshop on cultural
    evolution. The following excerpt suggests that one can achieve some degree of
    foresight by using evolutionary cultural replicator theory, which is
    presumably better than explaining events in hindsight. The reference to the
    "World Trade Center bombing" concerns the 1993 attack.

    EXCERPT FROM:
    From "Human Destiny and the Evolutionary Epidemiology of Ideas"
    a talk presented at the Foundation for the Future Workshop on Cultural
    Evolution, May 18-19, 2000, Bellevue, Washington.

    " ... In South Asia, the most intense versions of Islamic and Hindu faith
    lead to more children for adherents. For Islam, it also leads to more
    evangelical activity, giving a high fertility-high evangelism movement
    similar to early Christianity. The evolutionary maintenance and growth of
    religious fervor now contribute to the risk of nuclear war in India and
    Pakistan. Belief in special afterlife treatment for martyrs heightens the
    risk. If such a war happens, it could have devastating consequences not just
    in the region, but also for financial markets and the world economy as
    nations react by trying to create terrorist-proof boarders and curtailing
    civil liberties. The World Trade Center bombing illustrates very clearly that
    there are groups who would use a nuclear weapon on a large city if given a
    chance. ... "

    --Aaron Lynch

    http://www.thoughtcontagion.com

    In a message dated 9/15/2001 7:42:15 PM Central Daylight Time,
    tazzie@bolian.upnaway.com writes:

    > Subj: Dawkins View
    > Date: 9/15/2001 7:42:15 PM Central Daylight Time
    > From: tazzie@bolian.upnaway.com (Anne.)
    > Sender: fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk
    > Reply-to: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
    > To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
    >
    > Here is the link to the Dawkins piece!
    >
    > http://www.guardian.co.uk/wtccrash/story/0,1300,552388,00.html
    >
    > Anne.
    >

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