Re: virus: Experimental memes. was:Random thoughts & more poor
Robin Faichney (robin@faichney.demon.co.uk)
Mon, 17 Aug 1998 18:13:23 +0100
In message <000301bdc9da$bc0a7f60$2f192499@uymfdlvk>, Richard Brodie
<richard@brodietech.com> writes
><<This gets away from the ill-defined and implicitly
>subjective nature of the claim that memes are "in
>minds". It is also rather close to Dawkins' original
>description and example set in The Selfish Gene.>>
>
>Dawkins recanted that definition in The Extended Phenotype. Memes are in
>minds like software is in computers because that's where it has an effect on
>anything. Sure, we loosely call a CD-ROM of MS Office "software", but
>without computers running it it really isn't interesting.
I understand what you're saying about cultural artifacts,
but I'm afraid that's a bit of a straw man as far as I'm
concerned. What does Dawkins or any of the other names
you mentioned say about behavioural patterns?
--
Robin