Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The Meme Hypothesis
- 3 Cultural DNA
- 4 The Replication of Complex Culture
- 5 Variation
- 6 Selection
- 7 The Story So Far
- 8 The Human Mind: Meme Complex with a Virus?
- 9 The Meme's Eye View
- 10 Early Cultural Evolution
- 11 Memetic DNA
- 12 Memes and the Mind
- 13 Science, Religion and Society: What Can Memes Tell Us?
- 14 Conclusions
- Acknowledgements
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The Meme Hypothesis
- 3 Cultural DNA
- 4 The Replication of Complex Culture
- 5 Variation
- 6 Selection
- 7 The Story So Far
- 8 The Human Mind: Meme Complex with a Virus?
- 9 The Meme's Eye View
- 10 Early Cultural Evolution
- 11 Memetic DNA
- 12 Memes and the Mind
- 13 Science, Religion and Society: What Can Memes Tell Us?
- 14 Conclusions
- Acknowledgements
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
In biology, what matters for evolution is that genes are able to retain (i.e., realize) information, which they can then carry to the next generation, where they then enable it to produce results. Genes are a method of storing information in such a way that it can be replicated and put to good use; the effects that it has must be possible in a variety of surroundings. To look at this another way, genes may be seen as representations, in DNA, of the phenotypic features that they control. All species use the same system of representation: DNA.
If we are to pursue the analogy with the biological world, then we should expect to find that what matters for cultural evolution is that memes are able to retain information, which they can carry to the next cultural generation, where they enable it to produce results. Memes are a method of storing information in such a way that it can be replicated and put to good use in a range of situations. To look at this another way, memes may be seen as representations of the phenotypic features that they control. The questions now arise what representational system (RS) they use, and in particular whether it is always the same system, as is the case in biology.
Words
I turn first to language which, in the picture of culture that has been painted so far, has been assigned no particular role.
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- Information
- The Selfish MemeA Critical Reassessment, pp. 142 - 167Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2004