| Here
are just a few notes that I have thought about in regards to outlaws
and modifiers in the field of memetics. |
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In
contemplating the
similarities and differences between the replicators of genetics and
memetics, I have come across some rather strange ideas. Any replicator
should operate under the basic principals of theoretical biology. An
example of this would be Hamilton’s
rule, and that rule applies to genetics and memetics alike.
What about the concepts of outlaws and modifiers? In genetics, an
outlaw that is detrimental to the greater genetic population is likely
to be countered in the genome by modifiers that suppress the effects of
the outlaws. So
if a piece of genetic information rears itself to suppress the spread
of
the majority of other genes, any gene that overrides the effects of the
outlaw will spread in the genome.
I have to think that a similar process occurs in memetics; this leads
to an interesting look at why certain political and social ideals may
exist. In a system of government that restricts a vast majority of
freedoms and
opinions, any modifying idea of freedom and such will stick strongly to
any
memes that may be oppressed because of the current system.
Why has the idea of free flowing ideas spread so well? The reason seems
to stare us in the face if we look at the memetic perspective. Any
outlaw in the collective meme pool that restricts the free exchange of
ideas to propagate
any single ideology will be countered aggressively and collectively in
the
meme pool by the idea that ideas should be free and uncensored. The
meme
of freedom of speech holds beautifully because any and every memeplex
that
holds the idea of freedom of speech will ensure the propagation of the
entire
meme-pool of society.
Also, the meme for the free exchange of ideas will ensure the quicker
evolution of ideas and artifacts in general. When these new ideas
evolve more rapidly, they may overtake slower evolving ideas, and thus
promote the free exchange of ideas idea even more. (As democracy
winning out over restrictive forms of government because technology and
ideas evolve faster) (Free memes exchange analogous to sex in genetics?
i.e. both sex and free exchange offer faster evolution?) |
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