Re: virus: Re: Rationality

jonesr@gatwick.geco-prakla.slb.com
Thu, 27 Feb 97 10:03:24 GMT


Prof. Tim wrote:

> [Drakir wrote:]
> > Influence is a much less powerful word, though. Do memes influence, or
> > do they control? Control is something definate, where another does
> > what you want, whilst influence is where one's effect on someone /may/
> > cause them to act the fashion you wanted them to.
>
> Then I think "influence" is the correct word to describe the effect of a
> meme. Don't you?

I suppose it all really depends on what the final decision (like there's going
to be one!) on whether rationality, as a process, is a meme-complex or not.
If it is, then your "self" is made up of memes, operated upon by a far
superior and complicated meme-complex. Therefore, *all* your mechanisms
of thought and reason are memes. This means that whatever you do, a meme
has been the factor which prompts the action. Hence you have been controlled
by memes. If, on the other hand, rationality is /not/ a meme-complex, then
I would agree with you.

Drakir