Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id BAA21009 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 24 Jan 2002 01:54:55 GMT Message-ID: <00af01c1a479$ac039ac0$aa86b2d1@teddace> From: "Dace" <edace@earthlink.net> To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> References: <AA-1A04C7B4EE944C7668FBC1D84F18EF95-ZZ@maillink1.prodigy.net> Subject: Abstractism Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2002 17:51:40 -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
Philip:
> >I do not question at all the possibility that memes, ideas,
> >whatever, can influence people. I'm influenced by viewing a stand of
> >old growth trees very substantially (I'm a forester), and I would be
> >foolish to doubt that ideas can influence people. What I doubt is that
> >the meme, or old growth stand, or whatevery, wants to influence me.
>
> I agree, the meme clearly doesn't want anything.
> It's an abstract entity
In other words, it doesn't exist.
> with no will.
Of course. How could it have will if it doesn't exist in the first place?
To be real a thing must exist whether or not we believe in it. An
abstraction, by definition, is a product of consciousness. It cannot exist
unless we imagine it-- precisely the opposite of the ontological criterion.
If memes are abstractions, then we're just playing games here, fiddling with
words and imagining we've discovered something.
Ted
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