From: Platt Holden (pholden@sc.rr.com)
Date: Thu Jul 29 2004 - 15:04:28 BST
Hi Paul, Johnny
> Platt said:
> Your "life of their own" remark suggests Richard Dawkin's "memes."
>
> Paul:
> Indeed, and I think this aspect of Dawkins is given metaphysical support by
> the MOQ in terms of the evolution of social and intellectual patterns
> independently of the rules of biological evolution.
Note the vital role of Dawkins, an individual consisting of four levels of
static patterns plus the ability to respond to DQ. In this case, one can
presume Dawkins came up with the idea of "memes" in response to DQ.
Paul:
> Sam Norton picked up on
> this last year [Tue Oct 07 2003 - 10:50:44 BST], I responded by digging out
> a definition and adding some comments:
> "<philosophy> /meem/ [By analogy with "gene"] Richard Dawkins's term for an
> idea considered as a replicator, especially with the connotation that memes
> parasitise people into propagating them much as viruses do."
Dawkins is, if anything, a high priest of scientific materialism. Yet,
memes have no objective, material reality. By Dawkins' own metaphysics,
memes don't exist; they'll never show up under a microscope.
Paul:
> "Memes can be considered the unit of cultural evolution. Ideas can
> evolve in a way analogous to biological evolution. Some ideas survive
> better than others; ideas can mutate through, for example,
> misunderstandings; and two ideas can recombine to produce a new idea
> involving elements of each parent idea."
A nice theory. But where does DQ come in? Why is DQ necessary? And where
do memes dwell if not in the minds of individuals?
> "Use of the term connotes acceptance of the idea that in humans (and
> presumably other tool- and language-using sophonts) cultural evolution by
> selection of adaptive ideas has become more important than biological
> evolution by selection of hereditary traits."
Who are "sophonts?" Note the use of the passive voice. Adaptive ideas are
selected. By whom? Humans and sophonts.
Which brings us right back to individuals.
Platt
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