Re: playing at suicide

From: Wade Smith (wade_smith@harvard.edu)
Date: Mon Jan 14 2002 - 19:43:53 GMT

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Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 14:43:53 -0500
Subject: Re: playing at suicide
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From: Wade Smith <wade_smith@harvard.edu>
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    On Monday, January 14, 2002, at 02:23 , Grant Callaghan wrote:

    > Are you saying, then, that animals don't pass memes?

    They pass lots of things, but, IMHO, memes ain't one of 'em.
    Their behaviors are what they are, devoid of memetic content.

    > what tools do they have to do it with other than empanthy and mimicry?

    Whether animals possess empathy is another question, mostly
    answered, unless one is hopelessly anthropomorphic, in the
    negative.

    Whether homo sapiens does or not is another question, mostly
    answered, unless one is hopelessly cynical, in the positive.

    Although there's plenty of evidence for the opposite conclusion.
    We certainly would seem to have the capacity to be.

    - Wade

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