Date: Tue, 10 Jun 1997 05:14:11 -0400
From: Dr I Price <PEWLEYFORT@compuserve.com>
Subject: How memes function [was Kuhn & paradigms
To: "INTERNET:memetics@mmu.ac.uk" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
Bill observes
>Historians of science have pondered this question. That's what Thomas
Kuhn
was up to when he came up with the notion of a paradigm. Some people, in
fact, give up one paradigm in favor of another. More often, though, thos=
e
holding the "old" paradigm die, leaving more "cultural space" for adheren=
ts
of the new paradigm. It seems that on really deep and fundamental matter=
s,
few of us ever change our minds, opps, I mean memes.<
I think paradigms in science give us a useful example of how memes functi=
on
[Read David Hulls Science as a process if you have not done so].
The successful paradigm - which as you say might be considered a memetic
species, or perhaps the memome of one, - underpins or enables a whole
structure of journals, institutes, careers, tenured positions, grants,
research programmes etc, in which all the human members have an apparent
vested interest in the paradigms perpetuation. Heretics are excommunicate=
d.
Incidentally - and here I have to refer you to my papers at the site
referenced below - the process of paradigm change and organisational
innovation shows a distinct flavour of speciation in peripheral isolates,=
and ounctuated equilibrium.
If Price
Active Personal Learning, Guildford UK
http://members.aol.com/ifprice/ifresch.html
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