Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id PAA25287 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 7 Feb 2002 15:34:33 GMT Message-ID: <002001c1aff4$20a2b660$3e03aace@oemcomputer> From: "Philip Jonkers" <philipjonkers@prodigy.net> To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> References: <5.1.0.14.0.20020201203643.03556980@pop.cogeco.ca> Subject: Re: Words and memes Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2002 07:25:58 -0900 Organization: Prodigy Internet Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-Mimeole: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Ted:
> >To be replicated is necessary but insufficient to qualify as
> >memetic. Memes are not passively replicated but actively
> >self-replicate. The mere repetition of words doesn't mean memetic
> >propagation is occurring. Memes exploit our conscious interaction in
> >order to replicate themselves from one mind to another.
Keith:
> I think I agree with you here. There are obviously various levels memes
> exploit minds. For example, the meme of how to chip out the hand axes of
> the old stone age was passed down for a million and a half years (how to
> use them too). You don't have a "hand ax chipping cult" that piles them
up
> for reasons unrelated to using them to put dinner on the fire. The hand
ax
> memes propagated for obvious reasons.
>
> At the other end of this spectrum, you have memes that spread by inducing
> people to go out and do glassy eyed recruiting. Memes like Heaven's Gate
> or Moonies spread by directly inducing behavior of no value to the host
> rather than indirectly by being darned useful to the host.
Indeed such memes obviously do not have actual real value but they do
pretend
to do so. They give the meme hosts delusions of grandeur (scientology) and
eternal afterlife (conventional religions). Such memes advertise fitness
increments
when in actual fact of course they can't live up to that claim.
Ted:
> >In order for this to occur, the words must involve some kind of
> >interpretation ("bacon is evil") and not a mere statement of fact ("bacon
> >is in the fridge"). If it's merely factual, the repetition of the
> >statement can be accounted for according to normal, intentional use of
> >language.
Keith:
> Good way to put it. You can't call everything a meme or it becomes a
> useless word.
Why not? It's just that some memes carry more meaning or are more successful
than others. Memes are the building blocks of culture. If you omit some
you are ignorant of the full evolution of culture.
If you can't call everything memes where do you draw the line between meme
and non-meme.
Philip.
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