Re: virus: Re: Rationality (meme make-up)

jonesr@gatwick.geco-prakla.slb.com
Fri, 14 Mar 97 16:04:56 GMT


"Kirt A. Dankmyer -- aka Loki" wrote:

> >Fourth: This is where it gets confusing :) /If/ a fundamental meme can be
> >identified, can it transmitted /by itself/? Can it "die" when propogating?
> >What use is a meme that is so small? OK, now, leading on from this, /if/
> >it is possible to transmit fundamental memes on their own, or in very small
> >groups, is it possible to take a meme (read meme-complex) and propogate
> >it as smaller parts, and have it rebuilt inside the new host? That would
> >be the ultimate way to infect without detection.
>
> Isn't this sort of the method one sees Socrates using in some of Plato's
> dialogues?

I'm afraid I couldn't tell you. I've only skimmed over Socrates, and
not really looked at much of what he did/said.

> Get somone to accede to a variety of statements (smaller memes)
> so they'll be forced to accept your conclusion (larger meme)?

That looks like the one.

> What you're
> talking about may be a more sophisticated version of that, but I think the
> principle is the same.

You could well be right, there, but I've got this image of memes that don't
seem to bear any relation to anything, and it's not until a huge quantity
of them have been amassed that they seem to make any kind of sense. It's
certainly more complex, but I don't know if it's any different.

Drakir