Re: Words and memes

From: Dace (edace@earthlink.net)
Date: Thu Feb 07 2002 - 00:33:31 GMT

  • Next message: Wade T.Smith: "Re: Words and memes" 

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From: "Dace" <edace@earthlink.net>
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Subject: Re: Words and memes
Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 16:33:31 -0800
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    > >If "meme" is taken to be equivalent to "idea," then it becomes culturally
    > >universalized and ceases to have meaning. On the other hand, if
    > >"meme" is equated with "learned behavior," then it becomes biologically
    > >universalized and also ceases to have meaning. Any term that can be
    > >collapsed into another term is just an abstraction. It has no existence
    > >outside of the word we've made up for it.
    > >
    > >Ted
    > >
    > >
    > Hi Ted
    > Good points. What if 'meme' is simply a word signifying a strand of
    > cultural information which resides in cultural artefacts (even a hammer)
    > which enables the replication of the culture?
    > Jeremy

    We've been dealing with this on the Abstractism thread. My view is that
    information is not a property of matter. We can have a chemist examine a
    hammer and report back on all its properties. The property of "hammerness"
    will not be among them. Neither its shape nor its potential uses make it a
    hammer but only our interpretation of it when see it or use it. Cultural
    artifacts can help spread memes, but the memes themselves are in our minds.

    Ted

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