Re: virus: necessary reason
William Roh (sodom@ma.ultranet.com)
Mon, 10 Nov 1997 12:27:15 -0500
Wade T.Smith wrote:
>
> > You are effectively trying to remove the
> >subjectivity from subjective phenomena and then proudly proclaim that
> >there is nothing left, the emperor has no clothes!
>
> Yes, I am attempting to remove the subjective. It is called obtanining
> empirical, objective, measurable data, and it is mandatory to making
> memetics a class of cognitive, physical science, which is my goal.
>
> I am attempting precisely that. However, I think there are clothes to
> find here, or at least underwear. I am trying to separate the 'meme' from
> conscious activity. And I do think any report of any event heaps other
> memes on top. I am looking for distillation, so yes, a dreamer's report
> of his dream is useless to this type of examination. However, an
> instrumental record of the brain's activity is not.
>
> Why are some so willing to give up the subjective? Why do some think
> there is any road to travel there?
>
> To me, memetics is not psychology. Besides, of what use is a subjective
> report in any science?
>
> Are we actually willing to make memetics a science? I know I am.
>
> ********************************
> Wade T. Smith
> wade_smith@harvard.edu
> morbius@channel1.com
> morbius@cyberwarped.com
> ********************************
I agree with you here Wade. I do not think that one can be
non-subjective in an absolute way; However, i think there still is an
effective approach to this the same way there is to all sciences or
fields of study. That way is to set up tests that most of us can agree
limit our own subjective views.
Wade said:
> I am looking for distillation, so yes, a dreamer's report
> of his dream is useless to this type of examination. However, an
> instrumental record of the brain's activity is not.
An FMRI (Functional MRI) is capable of telling us what portions of the
brain are active and how active they are while a person is performing
mental tasks. Although expensive, this could give us a lot of
information. Since this info is only minimally subjective, we could all
agree on what we are seeing.
About psychology, it seems to me that psychology is studying the effect
of memes, and sometimes trying to find their source, but is woefully
unprepared in dealing with memes as stand alone units in the mind.
Psychology should be a subset of of memetics.
Sodom