07 Oct '11 15:44>
http://www.susanblackmore.co.uk/Chapters/cosmos2008.htm
The link above is a very interesting article by Susan Blackmore on genes, memes and especially 'temes.'
OK, let's see if I can do it justice:
Genes (as Richard Dawkins tells us), are the driving force of evolution. They use living organisms to further their own replication. A human being, in this sense, is a gene copying machine. Different organisms (as 1st level replicators) evolve and compete as mechanisms for the copying and dissemination of their own genes. Genes, of course, are not consciously deciding on these various strategies to get themselves replicated, but the effect is essentially the same as if they were. It is an unconscious direction of evolution.
Once you have living organisms who are capable of copying the behavior of each other sufficiently well then you have the development of memes. A meme, as the dictionary tells us, is "a cultural item that is transmitted by repetition in a manner analogous to the biological transmission of genes." In other words, each behavior or utterance that is copied by someone else is a meme. Memes, in this sense, are the driving force of cultural evolution. They use culture (as a 2nd level replicator), just as genes use living organisms, as a means for furthering their own replication and dissemination. Different cultures evolve and compete against one another as mechanisms for the copying and dissemination of their own memes. Menes, of course, are not consciously deciding on these various strategies to get themselves replicated, but the effect is essentially the same as if they were. It is an unconscious direction of cultural evolution.
That brings us to the 3rd level replicator. Technology. 'Teme' is the term she uses for technological memes. To cut a long story short, suffice it to say that temes are using mankind and his culture for the purpose of getting themselves copied and disseminated in a similar way that genes and memes do. In the struggle for dominance, technological cultures defeat and either exterminate or assimilate non-technological cultures. Technological cultures then compete against one another (or individuals within technological cultures compete against one another) to develop greater and greater technologies. Mankind maintains the illusion that he is using technology to further his own ends, but in truth it is quite the opposite. Temes have adapted mankind to suit their own needs. As Thoreau observed so many years ago, we have become the tools of our tools. It is as though technology is using us and our culture to further its own replication and evolution. Of course technology is not capable of consciously deciding any of this (as of yet), but, once again, the result is virtually the same as if it were. We subvert ourselves to the service of technology as though there were no other option. And once technology acquires the ability to replicate itself without human assistance, then it will have no further use of us.
Here's a shorter introduction to the subject: http://www.susanblackmore.co.uk/memetics/temes.htm
And here's a Youtube video of her speaking on the topic: YouTube
The link above is a very interesting article by Susan Blackmore on genes, memes and especially 'temes.'
OK, let's see if I can do it justice:
Genes (as Richard Dawkins tells us), are the driving force of evolution. They use living organisms to further their own replication. A human being, in this sense, is a gene copying machine. Different organisms (as 1st level replicators) evolve and compete as mechanisms for the copying and dissemination of their own genes. Genes, of course, are not consciously deciding on these various strategies to get themselves replicated, but the effect is essentially the same as if they were. It is an unconscious direction of evolution.
Once you have living organisms who are capable of copying the behavior of each other sufficiently well then you have the development of memes. A meme, as the dictionary tells us, is "a cultural item that is transmitted by repetition in a manner analogous to the biological transmission of genes." In other words, each behavior or utterance that is copied by someone else is a meme. Memes, in this sense, are the driving force of cultural evolution. They use culture (as a 2nd level replicator), just as genes use living organisms, as a means for furthering their own replication and dissemination. Different cultures evolve and compete against one another as mechanisms for the copying and dissemination of their own memes. Menes, of course, are not consciously deciding on these various strategies to get themselves replicated, but the effect is essentially the same as if they were. It is an unconscious direction of cultural evolution.
That brings us to the 3rd level replicator. Technology. 'Teme' is the term she uses for technological memes. To cut a long story short, suffice it to say that temes are using mankind and his culture for the purpose of getting themselves copied and disseminated in a similar way that genes and memes do. In the struggle for dominance, technological cultures defeat and either exterminate or assimilate non-technological cultures. Technological cultures then compete against one another (or individuals within technological cultures compete against one another) to develop greater and greater technologies. Mankind maintains the illusion that he is using technology to further his own ends, but in truth it is quite the opposite. Temes have adapted mankind to suit their own needs. As Thoreau observed so many years ago, we have become the tools of our tools. It is as though technology is using us and our culture to further its own replication and evolution. Of course technology is not capable of consciously deciding any of this (as of yet), but, once again, the result is virtually the same as if it were. We subvert ourselves to the service of technology as though there were no other option. And once technology acquires the ability to replicate itself without human assistance, then it will have no further use of us.
Here's a shorter introduction to the subject: http://www.susanblackmore.co.uk/memetics/temes.htm
And here's a Youtube video of her speaking on the topic: YouTube