[lit-ideas] Re: interaction of polls and public opinion
- From: "Andy Amago" <aamago@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2006 22:50:07 -0400
From Merriam Webster online, a meme is "an idea, behavior, style, or usage
that spreads from person to person within a culture." I would think once
"theory" is appended, the concept is no longer a meme; it moves into the
realm of science, and in fact evolution is embraced by all scientists.
Likewise the Big Bang. Saddam's keeping WMD is a meme, i.e., an
unsupported allegation that began as an effort to manipulate public opinion
and then lived on as fact until disproved.
> [Original Message]
> From: John McCreery <john.mccreery@xxxxxxxxx>
> To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: 10/24/2006 10:37:50 PM
> Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: interaction of polls and public opinion
>
> On 10/25/06, Andy Amago <aamago@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > I'm having a hard time seeing opposition to the war as a meme. Book
after
> > book, article after article have been written recounting factual bases
for
> > opposition to it. Support for the war is much sooner a meme, i.e.,
simply
> > a belief, in this case countervailed by opposition based in reality.
> >
>
>
> No need to take "meme" too seriously. In my message it's just an
> abbreviation for "cultural phenomenon." There is, moreover, no reason
> whatever to assume that a meme has no factual basis. Thus, for
> example, both Intelligent Design and the Theory of Evolution are
> memes. The factual foundation for the latter is much, much stronger.
>
> John
>
> --
> John McCreery
> The Word Works, Ltd., Yokohama, JAPAN
>
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