virus: Definition of memeplex (was: ESS's and Punc. Equil.)

David McFadzean (david@lucifer.com)
Fri, 25 Jun 1999 08:53:25 -0600

At 08:40 AM 6/23/99 -0600, David McFadzean wrote:

>At 09:54 PM 6/22/99 -0700, Richard Brodie wrote:
>>I'm using Blackmore's definition. I don't consider the old memetic lexicon
>>authoritative.
>
>OK, I guess we need a new word for "set of mutually-assisting
>memes which have co-evolved a symbiotic relationship".

Here's what Blackmore actually says:

"These are examples of groups of memes that replicated together. Dawkins calls such groups 'coadapted meme complexes', a phrase recently abbreviated to 'memeplexes' (Speel 1995)."

It looks to me like Blackmore's definition is consistent with the one in the "old" memetic lexicon. In particular it does not differentiate between mind and cultural replicators.

I traced the original mention to Speel's paper: <http://www.sepa.tudelft.nl/webstaf/hanss/memsel.htm> Again, I saw no obvious distinction drawn between mind and cultural replicators. Like in Blackmore's book the word "meme" is used to denote both kinds.

--
David McFadzean                 david@lucifer.com
Memetic Engineer                http://www.lucifer.com/~david/
Church of Virus                 http://www.lucifer.com/virus/