http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme
I first heard of the "meme" when the brother with whom I am no longer in communication [NOT the one who never communicates] accused me of being "infected with religious memes". Upon which I looked it up. It comes from Dawkins - for whom my disrespect has little to do with his antitheist remarks, which are as pitiful as Ricky Gervais on the same subject - no, I tell a lie, Gervais, who while limited is quite funny and The Invention of Lying was not that bad though full of logical holes, is less pitiful and offensive than Dawkins. Like, at least he can be entertaining.
Now I grant you, I was prejudiced both by Dawkins as source, and by the incredibly poor name. A scxientist can't do better as that? Now, if Gervaius had coined it ... But besides my constitution, in debate [which was then ongoing with my brother] I was not about to leave anything uninvestigated. Akhi, do I buy this or no? Either way, I have to take it seriously.
Danger signals - it is invented to parallel GENE to account for the evolution of ideas. From Linguistics, I know what it means when we start making up parallel concepts. Having my electronics teacher notice the parallel laws for electrical resistance and insulation is one thing; making up a parallel concept and hunting for it another.
To say behaviors spread is fine. To say we influence one another's behavior is fine. But a materialist analysis of a social / mental construct? Find me a meme, show it to me. Don't just say "X is a meme."
IF I believed, I would offer you an alternative and much better term. But I have no incentive to improve the name of a wrong concept in a misbegotten theory.
05 Jan 2011, 1:46 pm
