Message-Id: <199809071543.LAA30281@camel7.mindspring.com>
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1998 11:48:24 -0500
To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
From: bbenzon@mindspring.com (Bill Benzon)
Subject: Re: On Gatherer's behaviourist stance
>and now Aaron:
>
>Rationalist Association). Anyway, I don't see that mind virology
>necessarily provides any novel critique of religion, and certainly
>serious theologians simply ignore it. In my Zygon article I try to
>make the case that the mind virology critique of religion is the modern
>manifestation of a similar critique (superstition = an infection) that
>goes back to 17th century non-conformist sects such as the Diggers, the
>Levellers and the Ranters.
[snip]
>to 'irrational responses', but among the theologians there is scarcely
>a word of comment. I had a lot of trouble persuading the editors of
>Zygon that a reply to Dawkins was actually warranted. They simply
>didn't think that such a crass argument merited a response. I got the
>article published because they liked the parallels I drew between
>Popper and Averroes in a memetic context - but that's another matter.
>[Zygon 33, 203-220]
Derek--This is marvelous stuff. I too worry that memetics as it actually
is devotes entirely too much effort to critiquing religion and cults in a
rather tired way. Makes you wonder whether or not these memeticists
aren't, in fact, trying to defend themselves from ideas they find secretely
attractive.
Bill B
William L. Benzon 201.217.1010
708 Jersey Ave. Apt. 2A bbenzon@mindspring.com
Jersey City, NJ 07302 USA http://www.newsavanna.com/wlb/
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