Message-Id: <3.0.3.32.19980323092721.007a3930@pop.netaddress.com>
Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1998 09:27:21 +0100
To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
From: Josip Pajk <j.p.pajk@usa.net>
Subject: Re: The "mind virus" meme
In-Reply-To: <3513DF8F.4C7@catskill.net>
At 10:41 21.03.98 -0500, you wrote:
>levy@Oswego.EDU wrote:
>
>I suppose convincing arguments could be made that memetic engineering
>of culture is possible and that a science of influencing the memetic
>evolution of society is possible.
>
What are we talking about here?
Is "Memetic engineering" possible? The question should be: "Do we actually
need it?"
Is it really the main reason for the existence of memetics? If the
evolution of memetics should bring us to the "cloning" point where genetic
engineering brought us today, it is better to give up now and not to spend
precious time and scientific "gray matter" on this issue anymore. Why?
We humans have to be aware of the fact that there are things we can not
control. Control means that there is a goal, a point where the controller
"wants" to bring the state of the process it controls. Who is the
controller, and what would be the goal of (memetic and genetic)
engineering? Are we attempting to play the Gods role here? Is it not in
fact the eternal struggle between the father and the son? The son is
growing and thinks that he could do "better" than the father.
How will evolution bring forward in such "controlled" environment? Until
now it was doing well without our intervention. Can we limit ourselves in
the use of memetics, genetics and other sciences only to UNDERSTAND what is
going on here, without succumbing to the temptation of CHANGING everything?
Look what we have done with our air, water, animals, plants. Is it not
enough? We have to much work to do to preserve our environment because at
the point when we will struggle for the last few drops of water, no
memetics engineering will help to preserve our society.
Josip Pajk
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