icating itself just like a biological virus??
I am paraphrasing Dawkins here. .
2006-12-10 10:50:24 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Your thinking of a Meme. in that sense, yes it is, but then, all ideas are Memes, and transfer like a virus.
Freedom, Liberty, Hedonsim, Fundamentalism, all of these things are Memes. Thinking of the human brain as a computer, the mind as software, and ideas as a form of programming virus structure, that can proagate themselves exactly like computer viruses, and have an effect on the human mind, much like in a computer system...
addendum, and just went off to read his first chapter. my gut instinct in reading it, my intuition (oooo that is a dirty word!) is, here is a man who claims to be an Atheist, then carefully defines what that means. His God is science, and the natural world, but he's too uncomfortable with that God word to want to use it...
"OOo I love to dance that little sidestep..."
2006-12-10 10:56:00 · answer #1 · answered by Hatir Ba Loon 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It certainly fits quite nicely into "meme theory" as an example of a meme with developed reproductive: "Go and evangelise" and defensive: "only trust the bible" characteristics.
Once firmly established in a host it tends to reject any other memes.
But that this tale can be told this way doesn't conclusively prove anything.
The concept of memes is itself a meme.
Is it a good piece of knowledge, that will survive by being useful?
I find the idea of memes very useful for historical and cultural analysis. Ideas do get passed down families and societies, and in some senses war with each other.
So I've been infected or, if you prefer, I've picked up a symbiote, which offers me a new tool while I offer it brain-room.
2006-12-10 11:06:20 · answer #2 · answered by Pedestal 42 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Aren't you the one who claims you cant have an intelligent discussion with Christians? You might want to start by not insulting them, which prevents any intelligent conversation from starting with anyone. If I was to start a topic of discussion with you saying "Is Atheism a virus that's passed from mind to mind, infecting those who receive and replicate it, just like a biological virus??" would you want to have an intelligent discussion with me?
2006-12-10 11:00:04 · answer #3 · answered by impossble_dream 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Religious fundamentalism...if you are discussing fanaticism of any sort is not a good thing. I see it more as a parasite that eats and rots it's hosts brain until they no longer have any boundaries set for what is right and what has been indoctrinated in them through hate.
2006-12-10 10:55:24 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Poor Mr. Dawkins. Though I respect him, I think he has anger issues.
2006-12-10 10:53:56 · answer #5 · answered by <><><> 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes. Everyone should read "The God Delusion".
the first chapter is on-line free
http://richarddawkins.net/home
try it. you might wake up from the slumber you now live in.
((asker is excluded from the above statement))
2006-12-10 10:52:47 · answer #6 · answered by mysticathiest 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes.
2006-12-10 10:53:15 · answer #7 · answered by Poo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think so. But fortunately some have built in resistance and immunity!
2006-12-10 11:05:29 · answer #8 · answered by Enchanted Gypsy 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Wasted minds and souls! Kinda like syphilis...huh?
2006-12-10 10:58:53 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
This must be one of those intellegent conversation starters you were talking about....talk about critical and judgemental...
2006-12-10 11:06:44 · answer #10 · answered by me 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋