Date: 10 Feb 99 08:48:29 GMT
From: Derek Gatherer <derek-gatherer@usa.net>
To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Subject: Re: [Re: [Re: Darwinian/Neo-Darwinian, and codes (was Memes and Things)]]
Mario wrote:
>Derek,I already was afraid that you were going to confuse things.
Confusion is obviously something I have a talent for. But seriously, yes, I
am confused. Let's look at what you wrote and find the source of my problem.
In your last message you said:
>Also,
>considering texts as memes is what I propose to be the best approach >when
trying
>to compare biology and culture, but it is not directly relevant to what >most
of
>us
>want to do with memetics (as I tried to explain).
but previously you said (message before that one):
> >My conclusion is that written, electronic, printed, ... TEXTS are best
> >comparable to genes, and thus are the real memes (when thinking in
> >informational terms).
So texts are 'the real memes' but are also (see above) 'not directly relevant
to what most of us want to do with memetics'.
Frankly I'm baffled.
> don't
>iclude
>haviours and pottery (artefacts with very limited informational >ontent).
limited informational content? Why do you say that that? Pottery can have
high informational content. The Inca civilisation of South America had no
texts at all, but was obviously a highly informational society.
>Also, I don't see how my ideas relate to those of Michael Best. Could >you
point
>me
>to the texts of Best you are thinking of (electronic ones)?
See Mike's JoM article. Text is a real meme there.
>Moreover, since I presented these ideas already at the symposium, there >is
no
>need
>to welcome me as if I were a convert.
Again, I am confused. I imagined throughout the debate we had last year that
you were a defender of the Lynch/Dawkins B line??? Since Aaron sees artefacts
as meme products (and presumably also sees texts as meme products), if you
think that texts are 'the real memes' you are not holding to the thought
contagionist line. Can you clarify this?
Derek
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