[Buddha-l] Re: Memes

[Tim Bovee/Datni LLC]

The evolutionary theorist Richard Dawkins (he of "The God Delusion" fame)
coined the term "meme" in his 1976 book, "The Selfish Gene". He defines a
meme as a non-genetic replicator. He writes: "Examples of memes are tunes,
ideas, catch-phrases, clothes fashions, ways of making pots or of building
arches. Just as genes propagate themselves in the gene pool by leaping from
body to body via sperms or eggs, so memes propagate themselves in the meme
pool by leaping from brain to brain via a process which, in the broad sense,
can be called imitation. ... When you plant a fertile meme in my mind you
literally parasitize my brain, turning it into a vehicle for the meme's
propagation..."

Dawkins argues that just as genes spread in a way that suggests a
self-interest separate from the bodies that hosts them, so memes have the
appearance of spreading out of a self-interest distinct from the host
brains.

Good meme reading (with Amazon links):

Chapter 11 of Dawkins "The Selfish Gene"
 http://www.amazon.com/Selfish-Gene-Anniversary-Introduction/dp/0199291152/sr=1-1/qid=1169747863/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-0944290-1740739?ie=UTF8&s=books

Susan Blackmore, "The Meme Machine", 1999
http://www.amazon.com/Meme-Machine-Susan-Blackmore/dp/019286212X/sr=1-1/qid=1169747965/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-0944290-1740739?ie=UTF8&s=books

I've read both, twice, and heartily recommend them.

Tim Bovee, Washington, D.C.
tbovee at gmail.com | http://www.daypoems.net
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