RE: virus: ESS's and Punc. Equil.

Richard Brodie (richard@brodietech.com)
Tue, 22 Jun 1999 13:54:32 -0700

Tim wrote:

<<In a recent e-mail convesarion with Mario Vaneechoutte he pointed out to
me
that since memes don't self-replicate although they do evolve, they do not undergo natural selection in a similar manner to biological life.>>

Memes do self-replicate by definition. Memeplexes [Blackmore] and Viruses of the Mind [Brodie] also self-replicate. Saying they self-replicate is simply invoking the model known as the intentional stance [Dennett]. How "true" it is depends on the accuracy of the predictions made.

A lot of the confusion in memetics stems from not realizing there are more than one kind of cultural replicator.

Richard Brodie richard@brodietech.com
Author, "Virus of the Mind: The New Science of the Meme" Free newsletter! http://www.brodietech.com/rbrodie/meme.htm