Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id DAA24049 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Fri, 25 Jan 2002 03:07:07 GMT X-Originating-IP: [209.240.222.132] From: "Scott Chase" <ecphoric@hotmail.com> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: sex and the single meme Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2002 22:02:46 -0500 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Message-ID: <F243zBEEs5VFFy8PJI50000204f@hotmail.com> X-OriginalArrivalTime: 25 Jan 2002 03:02:48.0775 (UTC) FILETIME=[C534BD70:01C1A54C] Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>From: <salice@gmx.net>
>Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>Subject: Re: sex and the single meme
>Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2002 22:16:17 +0100
>
>On 24 Jan 2002, at 20:55, Kenneth Van Oost wrote:
>
> > Who selects !? The ' you ' or your memes !?
>
>It's the brain. Evolutionary seen those genes survived which built
>the brain in a way to let it select memes which made those genes
>survive and propagate.
>
Why view the world through selectionist lenses? If selection isn't the only
game in town when looking at biological evolution, why should it serve as an
explanation for *all* of cultural change? In biological evolution the
possibility of genetic drift is taken into account and there's also Motoo
Kimura's neutral theory as applied to molecular evolution.
I really don't see the need to impose selectionist thinking on the minutae
of cultural phenomena. Considering the basic needs tend on average to be
covered as far as individual fitness is concerned, there's probably lots of
room for random flutter when it comes to cultural changes which have little
or no importance at the individual (or even genic if you choose to be a
genocentrist) level in the long-term big picture of things.
I'm not saying selection would be totally unimportant, but one's view should
be tempered with the acknowledgement that other mechanisms could come into
play.
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