From:Roger
To:All Fellow Metaphysicians
MEMETIC EVOLUTION AND THE MOQ (VOL. 1)
The MOQ is essentially an evolutionary metaphysics. From inorganic to
intellectual...... increasingly rich patterns are created via an evolutionary
dynamic.
The inorganic/biological levels are explained in detail in Lila, and are
pretty much common knowledge. But evolution at the higher levels is not
addressed as directly, nor is it well understood or even universally
accepted. Therefore I would like to start a discussion on it and am
soliciting input from anyone.
Theories of social evolution go back to the time of Darwin himself, but the
real breakthrough in the science came with Richard Dawkins proposal of a new
evolutionary unit called the MEME. Platt had recently turned me on to a new
book on the subject by Susan Blackmore titled "The Meme Machine". She takes
Dawkins' idea to an entirely new level, and the parallels with the MOQ are
absolutely uncanny. I am going to recap some of these concepts with the goal
of starting conversations on whatever seems intriguing.
EVOLUTION ESSENTIALS
For patterns to evolve, there are three basic requirements:
1) Heredity - Patterns must be copied. There must be a replication process.
2) Variation - Patterns must not be identical, or they must be subject to
errors in the copying process.
3) Selection - There must be an environment that selects for some patterns,
allowing only some to survive.
If there is a replicator that makes imperfect copies of itself, only some of
which survive, evolution is inevitable. Evolution requires no conscious
involvement nor even a will to evolve or survive. Once the evolutionary
requirements are met, it will occur.
The term "selection" introduces Quality firmly into evolution. Quality
determines selection, and selection determines Quality. When we say "all is
good" we are supported by the last few billion years of genetic and memetic
evolution. The patterns that survive, replicate and that surround and create
us are patterns of quality. Our current experience is the cumulative product
of countless past quality selection events. (In SOM terms). This helps me to
see the magic of calling everything "Quality" rather than the Pure Experience
approach of Radical Empiricism and Zen.
MEMETIC EVOLUTION
The breakthrough for creating a new type of evolutionary unit was IMITATION.
Memes are patterns that humans copy or imitate. A simple example is seeing
someone throw a stick and copying this behavior. This is so simple for us to
do that we do not recognize that it is extremely difficult and rare in the
animal world. True imitation requires:
A) A very advanced intellectual capacity to select what needs to be copied
verses what is irrelevant.
B) The ability to transform one point of view to another, or subject/object
thinking.
C) The ability to copy or repeat the action or pattern.
Again, we are seeing Quality as the center stage. Selection requires
perceiving value. Interestingly enough, Memetics also explains why
subject/object thinking is innate in humans. Other animals can learn from
others, for example they can learn where to eat or what to fear, but they
very rarely imitate, and any imitation is extremely limited in scope (the
only clear non human imitations are in parrots, songbirds and whales. See the
book for more on the subtle differences between learning and imitation.) A
key requirement of imitation though is the mental ability to perceive
yourself as a separate entity and to project yourself into another's
perspective. Studies of higher primates show they perceive themselves as
separate beings, but they are very poor at projecting.
Blackmore calls men "consummate imitative generalists." We seem to have an
innate ability and desire to imitate.Once imitation of behavior began, a new
process of duplication, selection and variation was created, hence evolution
became inevitable.
The coevolution of memes and genes created the world of the four levels that
we now live in. Protohuman copiers became more successful than non copiers.
Some memes were more valuable and hence copied more than others. Sexual
preference for good copiers became successful. Vocal cords to spread
patterns to a wider audience became mutually beneficial to the memes and the
genes. Brains grew to store and manipulate and to copy more accurately.
Language developed to express more advanced concepts. Fashion, religion,
tradition and the MYTHOS emerged.
As in the MOQ, memetics explains that this new evolutionary unit eventually
develops value patterns of its own that can contradict those of the
biological entity that they originally served. Successful (heavily
propagated) thought patterns can include "kill those that think differently"
, and "for good luck, send this message to 5 friends." Religion is an
especially good example of this value conflict. Memetics suggests that
successful religions will develop certain tricks for their own survival
including:
1) Establish fear
2) Offer protection from fear via belief
3) Inspire with works of beauty and grandeur
4) Encourage lots of children and discourage homosexuality to maximize the
number of carriers for your meme.
5 )Marry only believers
6) Encourage spreading the word and serving the religion
7) Value faith, especially in the utter absence of reasonableness
8) Dislike nonbelievers. Convert them or eliminate them.
Social patterns such as the above are bound to flourish, and can obliterate
patterns that don't use these types of replication tricks. Do they resemble
any common religious patterns you know?
INTELLECTUAL LEVEL
Memetics explains the patterns of quality that created humans as such unique
animals, and it explains society. But what about the intellect?
In memetic terms, Blackmore explains that the meme of science is a pattern
that values truth and that distinguishes false memes from true memes. It is
therefore a kind of memetic meta pattern that propagates itself by relegating
all "lesser" memes as subservient to itself. Using the MOQ definition of
truth, this pattern called "science" can be extended to metaphysics,
morality, philosophy and logic, and can be called the intellectual level.
Let me know your thoughts on evolution, memetics and the MOQ. In Volume two,
I plan to go into the implications of memes on consciousness, free will and
the pursuit of DQ.
Rog
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