RE: Selfish memes?

From: Price, Ilfryn (I.Price@shu.ac.uk)
Date: Wed Jan 23 2002 - 16:59:32 GMT

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From: "Price, Ilfryn" <I.Price@shu.ac.uk>
To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
Subject: RE: Selfish memes?
Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2002 16:59:32 -0000
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: Keith Henson [mailto:hkhenson@cogeco.ca]

SNIP

>
> Dawkins explains in *detail* that this is metaphor and as
> shortcut way to
> think about evolution from the viewpoint of genes. "Selfish"
> in this sense
> only means that as time goes on the effects of evolution
> makes some genes
> increase in number of copies I don't have my copy at hand or
> I would find
> you the page number, but I assure you it is there.

True, as is the detailed explanation that 'the selfish gene' is a metaphor for an incredibly complex set of interacting genes. Both points
have been lost on many subsequent critics or citers of the work who seem far more concerned with the title than the content, and often
appear not to have bothered to read the book.

If Price
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