Spot on Arlo, It would be reductionist to expect to find a meme under a microscope.
Ian On 3/25/08, Arlo Bensinger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > [Platt quoting Wolfe] > A neurophysiologist can use the most powerful and sophisticated brain > imagining now available - and still not find a meme. > > [Arlo] > Why would anyone expect to find a social level pattern on the > biological level? Seems to me this quote represents the extreme SOM > Pirsig rejected, namely if you can't see it under a microscope it's > just in your head and doesn't exist. > > I'm not a Dawkins expert, I've never read any of his books, but it > seems he gives plenty examples of memes on the Wikipedia page, > chucked sets of words conveying specific and metaphorical meaning. We > can (and some socio-linguists have done) trace the spread of a phrase > from a place of origin to its becoming a common phrase in the > standard lexicon. As Dawkins proposes that language carries with it > not only specific "referent" but also metaphoric meaning, > meaning-by-omission, and normative reinforcement, his idea that the > social level grows and ages in a way analogous to the biological > level has merit. > > Pirsig himself uses the same analogy when he refers to "the cultural > immune system". You won't find this under a microscope either, Platt. > So I guess that means you're rejecting Pirsig as delusional now as well? > > > > Moq_Discuss mailing list > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > Archives: > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ > Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
