From: Wim Nusselder (wim.nusselder@antenna.nl)
Date: Fri Dec 06 2002 - 22:44:18 GMT
Dear Rick,
I'm glad that you (5 Dec 2002 17:57:07 -0500) find value in so much of what
I wrote.
You wrote:
'I'm not sure I like the use of "habitual" in this definition ["the social
level consists of patterns of value resulting from the copying of habitual
behavior between people"]. I generally think of "habit" as dealing with
biological patterns... or at the very minimum, I think the term "habitual"
encompasses many biological patterns as
well as social ones.'
If you agree that biological patterns of value are latched by DNA, I don't
see how the 'copying of habits' can be a biological pattern of value. People
seeing/hearing etc. behavior from each other and repeating it AND THEREBY
CREATING CULTURE are not creating a pattern that is latched by DNA copying
itself.
A lot of animals also develop what we interpret as 'habitual behavior'. The
development of unique individual habits that fit individuals of a species to
the habitat where they happen to find themselves may be one of the highest
quality biological patterns of value. The individuals with the best habits
are the fittest to survive. They produce equally fit offspring that develops
comparable habits in a comparable habitat, IF these habits are biologically
latched, if they are -however subtly- inborn as 'instincts' laid down in
their DNA.
These individual habits are the 'machine code interface' between the
biological and the social level. Their copying among animals (mainly humans)
with a lot of inborn curiosity and social sense creates a new type of
patterns of value: culture.
With friendly greetings,
Wim
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