Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id SAA16853 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Tue, 22 Jan 2002 18:21:41 GMT Message-ID: <005b01c1a371$331aa260$1187b2d1@teddace> From: "Dace" <edace@earthlink.net> To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> References: <5.1.0.14.0.20020121215605.03531e80@pop.cogeco.ca> Subject: Selfish memes? Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 10:18:28 -0800 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400 X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
----- Original Message -----
From: Keith Henson
> >>We're born into a world already
> >>chalk full of ideas, all of which want to seduce us and propagate in
> >>our consciousness,
> >
> >I don't believe ideas "want" to do anything.
>
> Of course not, and genes are not "selfish." It is a shortcut method of
> thinking Dawkins used to consider things from a gene's or a meme's
> viewpoint.
He wrote an entire book called *The Selfish Gene.* Are you saying he didn't
really mean it? I think we have to accept the fact that, according to
Dawkins' theory, memes are not merely ideas capable of replication but
autonomous ideas that actively pursue self-replication, much like genes.
> But an idea can certainly cause the person who has it to spread the idea
to
> others. Such memes tend to become more common as time goes on.
Anything with causative power has its own intrinsic existence.
Ted
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