virus: Is morality a meme? and some implications of an affirmative answer
Nathan Russell (frussell@frontiernet.net)
Fri, 01 May 1998 21:56:06 -0400
Hi, I'm new on this mailing list (I hope I got the 'virus:' header
right; see my introduction on alt.memetics), and I'm curious: Can
morality, and the entire system of ethical behavior within a given
religion or culture, be considered a meme (is this pronounced me-muh or
to rhyme with gleam, to rhyme with BB or otherwise) or a meme-complex?
I am thinking in particular of sexual morality: here, 'moral memes' and
the cultures in which they are found undergo natural selection along
with the infected individuals: one course of action tends to lead to
more children to be infected by that meme but can also lead to, now
certainly fatal, infection of a more 'traditional' nature. As AIDS
becomes more common, it occurs to me that morality may become more
traditional and restrictive due to the counterselection of memes.
Homosexuality (and the subtle influences which promote it, both genetic
and due to environmentally transmitted memes i.e. contact with
homosexuals) would now be selecte4d against for multiple reasons. This
may lead quasifactual credence to the extreme theists who claim that
Jesus, Allah or whomever created AIDS to switch the balance back to that
deity's traditional value system.
As for nonsexual moral issues, prohibitions on, for example, eating
certain animals may have 'evolved' as the carriers of those memes were
more healthy. It is, however, difficult to think of an evolutionary
advantage to memes which, for instance, require burnt offerings of food
or massive donations to charity. Random chance and the overriding
pro-survival influence of other aspects of the religion may be
responsible.
I understand that the purpose of this list is to construct a new
religion. Might 'logical morality' be a useful aspect?
Note that throughout this message I am using my own inadequate
understanding of memetice - a concept which I have only learned of since
Wednesday - and assuming that few people change religions/value systems
during a lifetime or reject their parent's values, though that
assumption may not be necessary.
-Nathan Russell