From: "Aaron Agassi" <agassi@erols.com>
To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
Subject: RE: astrology-talk behavior
Date: Thu, 1 Jul 1999 16:41:01 -0400
In-Reply-To: <377BCAC0.D059D113@erols.com>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk [mailto:fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk]On Behalf
> Of Thomas McMahan
> Sent: Thursday, July 01, 1999 4:09 PM
> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Subject: Re: astrology-talk behavior
>
>
> I do get the point of your astrology parable, but I'm left wondering
> that a memetic approach can easily reduce itself into silliness with the
> notion that all ideas are equivalent, even mistaken ones, as long as it
> satisfies some particular need of mine at the moment. I think the
> parallel between genes (whose "mistakes" advance their evolution in an
> unthinking way) and memes (whose very existence is wrapped up in
> thinking) can be taken too far.
There is a certain Anti-Rationalist view that Logic is an evolutionary
byproduct actually belonging to Neurology. It is then advanced that logic is
simply a need no more intrinsically valid than any other! This confuses
Psychology with Ontology. The impulses that lead to reality testing may not
be more valid, as such, than any other itch to scratch. But that is an
entirely different question than the logical validity or correspondence to
reality of any given assertion.
>
> If, on the other hand, your story was meant in an ironic or wry way, its
> a good one!
>
> Aaron Lynch wrote:
> >
> > A personal anecdote on this thread:
> >
> > Last week, I thought I was an "Aquarius." This was not based on any hard
> > evidence, or even on 'lab' results. The only reason I ever accepted the
> > label "Aquarius" was because that's what someone born in the
> U.S. told me.
> >
> > Several days ago, I went on a first date with a classical musician from
> > Japan. When she asked what day was my birthday, I told her. She
> then said
> > that I am an "Aries." She explained that this was a good sign,
> because she
> > was "Aries" too. So now I am an "Aries." Who am I to say that
> one strain of
> > astrology is superior to any other?
> >
> > I think Richard might follow this reasoning...
> >
> > --Aaron Lynch
> >
> > http://www.mcs.net/~aaron/thoughtcontagion.html
> >
> > ===============================================================
> > This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
> > Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
> > For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
> > see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
>
> ===============================================================
> This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
> Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
> For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
> see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
>
===============================================================
This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit