Re: virus: Original meme.

Brett Lane Robertson (unameit@tctc.com)
Fri, 18 Jul 1997 14:14:38 -0500


where the line is drawn between the territory
of memes and the territory of instinct. Is a lion's urge to hunt a meme
instilled by it's pack from when it was young, or is it just instinct? (Josh
Logan)

Not an easy question! Assume that as embryos we develop through the
evolutionary stage of "fish"--once we were fish now we are "human". Is
being fishlike instinctual? Similarly, hunting was a developmental stage in
evolution...in humans, we were hunters before we were gatherers or before we
were a social group. But, hunting may not be instinctual in humans; on the
other hand, it is a necessary prerequisite for gathering. Is the "hunting"
done by antibodies in the body either instinct or instilled? Or, is hunting
a "structure", a process that occurs as a direct physical result of the
movement of matter and its natural settling into an optimum ordered existence?

Still, if the ordered existence of the lion pack doesn't mimic the order of
nature then the young lion might not learn to "hunt"--in the way that word
is usually used...to refer to how a lion responds to "prey". The lion may
hunt out of Chance, or Freedom, etc...instead of hunting for
self-preservation. The lion will probably never revert to the level of
earlier memes...those memes--in a developed lifeform--are self regulating
and self perpetuating (just like a human never has to regress to the "life
strategy" of being a fish).

The developmental level of a lion is structured around the concept of life
as an independent (god) form; a. protecting that form, b. nurturing the
form, c. hunting from that central point of departure, d. preserving what
is hunted within the confines of that form, knowing e. punishment and f.
reward in reference to that central concept and g. seeking safety: This is
meme #4 in the time chain. The survival of this meme is dependent on the
proper functioning of memes 1-3...which is a given, assuming the lion
maintains responsibility for his own developmental level. The lion who
fails in this developmental task will revert to an earlier stage of
development: First mind will waste, then body will waste, then chance will
take over.

Seems "learning" and "ability"--developing and falling back on developed
attributes--are a sign of growth (which I think you refer to by "instill"
and "instinct" above..."instilling" being a form of teaching/learning and
"instinct" referring to a structural ability). Since they show that the
lifeform is growing, they also imply that he is not reverting to previous,
lower level life strategies. If "instinct" is used to mean a structural
ability, then a lion will revert to instinct when it is no longer a
lion...when it becomes a lifeform operating at a lower level strategy.
Though, at stage 4 of development, it should not have to rely on the
teachings of it's pack to develop, either...development should be inherent
in the strategy of the lifeform.

Brett
Returning,
rBERTS%n -----{----{@
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