Tag Archives: memes

Of Dawkins, Darwin, Dennett, and the Deity

In Breaking the Spell: Religion as Natural Phenomenon, Daniel Dennett summarizes his process of evolutionary investigation with the “stock Latin phrase, ‘cui bono?,’ which means ‘Who benefits from this?’” (62). The basic idea is that one can best approach an evolutionary mystery by first determining who or what is the beneficiary of the equipment or [...]

I take illegal drugs for inspiration

From I take illegal drugs for inspiration, written by Susan Blackmore, the author of The Meme Machine (which I’ve talked about on this site): “Some people may smoke dope just to relax or have fun, but for me the reason goes deeper. In fact, I can honestly say that without cannabis, most of my [...]

Are We A Different Species?

I was just reading the first chapter in Isaiah Berlin’s book, The Roots of Romanticism, which is titled, “In Search Of A Definition.” After showing how difficult it is to summarize the conflicting ideas and doctrines that came after the Enlightenment, Berlin quotes George Boas, who writes:
There happen to have been a variety of aesthetic [...]

The Metaphor of Memes

I’ve been trying to visualize what a meme looks like. When I see one flying through the atmosphere, airborne between one mind and another, the meme resembles a sperm searching for an egg to impregnate. When I see a meme working in a mind, I see electrical bolts whose tips are the adventurous and conquering [...]

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