Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id PAA08647 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 8 Oct 2001 15:56:46 +0100 Message-ID: <002501c1500f$18fab6a0$f0a4bed4@default> From: "Kenneth Van Oost" <Kenneth.Van.Oost@village.uunet.be> To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> References: <E15pGaG-0005YI-00@dryctnath.mmu.ac.uk><3BBCE8A7.A0260C0D@pacbell.net> <003501c14f48$ddb5bfc0$d7a8bed4@default> <3BC09E50.12F8D5C9@pacbell.net> Subject: Re: Memes inside brain Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2001 17:34:37 +0200 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
----- Original Message -----
From: Bill Spight <bspight@pacbell.net>
To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
> > There has to be some memetic input somewhere, no !? Where and how !?
> As I pointed out, memes include not only behaviors, but the conditions
> for those behaviors. (I am not excluding other types of memes, but I
> think that in the main they may be represented as situation-response
> pairs. This is in line with the modern anthropological view of culture
> as comprised of rules for behavior. See Clifford Geertz.) The behaviors
> may be imitated, at least imperfectly, but the conditions must be picked
> up by inference or instruction. So the main memetic input is observed
> behavior, but instruction in some form needs to be there for the
> transmission of many memes.
Hi Bill,
The lines mentioned above are of some specific interest to me, especially
the representation of a meme as a situation- response pair.
You know, or you don 't, it doesn 't matter, but I am deep in Lamarckism.
My main interest points are lying there.
Lamarck, in his Philosophie Zoologique talks a lot about " une réaction ",
in many ways he seems to pre- suppose that behavior, change in behavior
are caused by environmental changes where the organism reacts upon.
For a long time and still, I am trying, not to convince, but to let see our
co- members things in a different perspective.
One of those is, that we, the human organism " reacts " upon changes
caused in and by the environment and not simply adapt.
In memetic perspective, adaptation is too slow to, IMO explain the
evolution- rate by which memetic evolution is taking place.
With the notion that we " react " and not simply adapt we can explain
this mush better.
If we should adapt such a view, that we react and that memes were nothing
more than the representation of any situation- response than we can loosen
up the gene- stuff.
Than becomes memetics rightly a part of neurobiology, psychology, ...
Genes are than nothing more than " capacity- ways " where along memes
strive.
In my mind, reading Lamarck, there is no doubt, that he was not writing
some book about biology, but one about psychology.
" Re- inventing " Lamarckism in such ways should help us to understand
what memes are all about, it helped me... but that is no reference I
suppose.
Anyway, can you give me more details about your " meme- as- re-
presentation- of- a- situation- repsonse - view " !?
Thanks in advance,
Best,
Kenneth
===============================================================
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
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Oct 08 2001 - 16:02:13 BST