Could Atheism conceivably be a meme?

Question

All religion for that matter? Is there any way to kill a meme?

You don't know what a meme is? Are you serious?

Answer 1

A meme is handed down via language and stories, by which it replicates itself from generation to generation. Dawkins has convincingly posited that Religion is a meme that successfully survives across generations via replicating itself via human hosts, but it does not suggest that atheism, which seems an absence of religious belief, equally qualifies.

Another example of a meme is the Chicken-crossing-the-road joke. For some reason, its simplicity makes it easy to remember, and it is retold, even though no one thinks its funny. Religion survives, even though reason suggests it no longer serves its original purpose, much like humans' vestigial tails.

Answer 2

Atheism, particularly Ethical Culture, fits the definition of meme, as does religion, politics, and much much much else.

Memes evolve. They die. (Not many people perform suovetaurilia these days, even though it used to be IMMENSELY popular.) I don't know about killing a meme.

The vulnerability of a meme will vary depending on the meme and its nature. I do not think anyone could exterminate Roman Catholicism, but a pretty good job was done on the Koreshite "faith."

1984 can be read as a recipe for killing the Liberty meme. And so it goes. Generally speaking, any meme strong enough to be worth killing is going to be awfully hard to kill.

Answer 3

Interesting question. I would think that by definition, all religions would be considered memes unless a given religion was actually the manifestation of the work of God and not based upon people passing along ideas.

If you define atheism as merely the lack of belief, then possibly you might consider that it is not a meme, but rather the lack of one. But I beleive that atheism today has active proponents who are closely aligned with secular humanist schools of thought and thus would be a meme.

Can you kill it? Don't you kill a meme by replacing it with a better one?

Answer 4

Atheism isn't a religion, but yes, it's conceivable that it could be a meme. I would think you'd have to kill over 1/2 of your brain to kill any particular meme. lol

Answer 5

I think some of the arguments we atheists implore are in fact memes. Russel's Teapot (FSM, Pink Unicorn being offshoot memes).

I think religions are memes. YOu have the Christianity meme that has been copied and mutated over and over and over to the point of thousands of denominations.

Atheism, by itself - i don't know. It's required one have lack of belief and strong skepticism. There is no doctrine or dogma required. Secular Humanism, probably memetic, but not atheism by itself, IMO.

Answer 6

More like memeplexes...maybe that's why the Multiplexes were called that!

And the only humane way to "kill" a meme would be to start a newer version so that future generations could kill the old ones!

Answer 7

In some cases - probably most cases - sure.

How many people have actually done original research to develop or confirm their "beliefs"? Not very bloody many.

Atheism is theoretically a disbelief in a particular kind of meme; but "atheism" as it exists culturally can easily become just another dogma, accepted by people without really investigating the fundamental question.

I say all this as an atheist!

Answer 8

Atheism is a successful meme. Meme's usually die natural deaths.

Answer 9

Category error, saying "lack of X" and "X" are the same sorts of things.

While some ideas pertaining to atheism could be memetic, this doesn't make them inherently bad, and it doesn't mean they are the definition of atheism. (Meme theory is an explanation for why bad ideas persist, not a pejorative label that tars anything to which it applies.)

Answer 10

All thought systems are memes. Some are harmful and some beneficial. Atheism is beneficial because it encourages people to use logic and reason.