Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id JAA23673 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Fri, 30 Nov 2001 09:41:13 GMT Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2001 09:33:46 +0000 To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: circular logic Message-ID: <20011130093346.B1185@ii01.org> References: <F220Q0uQBnayGkzWkEX00010d9c@hotmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <F220Q0uQBnayGkzWkEX00010d9c@hotmail.com> User-Agent: Mutt/1.3.23i From: Robin Faichney <robin@ii01.org> Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
On Thu, Nov 29, 2001 at 10:40:31PM -0500, Scott Chase wrote:
>
> >> You didn't answer my question though? Would the overt behavior whereby
> >one
> >> person sees wheels that someone else has placed on their car and that
> >person
> >>
> >> goes out and buys the same wheels and places them on their car be
> >imitation?
> >
> >Sorry, I thought it was obvious: yes.
> >
> OK then :-)
>
> But where can we proceed from here? The overt behavior of buying a snazzy
> set of wheels has been mimicked, but would prying into the inner workings of
>
> the mindbrains of person A, person B and anybody else this behavior spreads
> to add any understanding to analysis of the situation?
Certainly not without great advances in neurology. In my opinion it's
likely that examination of an individual's brain will never be of much
help in understanding their attitudes and opinions. These levels of
explanation are just too far apart.
> Would it matter what
> mnemons/engrams/L-memes were stored and how they were stored, reduplicated
> and mutated within the mindbrains of each subject, if this detailed sort of
> knowledge were even possible?
I think I'm probably about as skeptical as you on this sort of thing.
<snip>
> Perhaps the focus of studying culture
> should remain on culture and overt behavior.
Indeed.
-- "The distinction between mind and matter is in the mind, not in matter." Robin Faichney -- inside information -- http://www.ii01.org/=============================================================== 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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