Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id CAA27560 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 17 Jan 2002 02:27:54 GMT X-Sender: unicorn@pop.greenepa.net Message-Id: <p04320402b86bdf3d6359@[192.168.2.3]> In-Reply-To: <200201170117.g0H1HZ329036@mail14.bigmailbox.com> References: <200201170117.g0H1HZ329036@mail14.bigmailbox.com> Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 21:23:58 -0500 To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk From: "Francesca S. Alcorn" <unicorn@greenepa.net> Subject: Re: Do all memes die out or evolve? I think not. Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed" Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>
> >But now I have a question. If two identical memes arise in two
>>completely different environments, are they the same meme?
>>
>Or to reword the question, is the context-free meme simpliciter
>definitional, or is it instead the relationship between the meme and
>its gestalt context that defines the meme? Or is it an either-or?
My inclination on this is the first one. I don't know a lot about
genetics but it seems that genes can influence how other genes are
expressed. That doesn't mean that the chemical structure of the gene
itself has changed, only it's expression is modified. I think of
memes in the same way: context may influence the expression of
certain memes, but the memes themselves remain the same. Like my
example of intolerance in an earlier post. There may be memes of
non-violence, or freedom of expression etc which may inhibit the
expression of the meme of intolerance in violent ways. Other memes
may actually encourage violence (belief in an afterlife). Certain
meme combinations are particularly volatile.
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