I personally like to skip the "behavior" of things
and groups and go right to the "behavior of
symbols". I would like to help devise the
*language* of memetics (understanding that a
language is an organization of symbols which act in
a patterned way-- and that these patterns evolve
from a conceptual level, to a symbolic level, to a
personal, interpersonal, group, cultural,
civilizational, etc., level... according to these
particular "units" of transmission*).
The question of art being-- or not being-- an
appropriate concern in the study of symbols is a
good one. I think the distinction between mystery
and mastery-- though-- helps define what art is and
how it might be replicated: That is, if art is
defied-- AND PURSUED-- for its ability to inspire
*mystery*; then, the defining characteristic of GOOD
art would be that it does NOT replicate (that it
defy transmission). On the other hand, the
*mastery* of words-- by definition-- assumes that
the meaning will be imparted to a listener in such a
way that they can replicate it.
As to "conceit": If "art" is about "self" (as Wade
states). It would seem that ART is the ultimate in
conceit-- rather than words.
*yet the "meme", being at heart the *pattern* rather
than the behavior, can only be observed in its
behavior according to the unit studied (and between
units)-- EXCEPT: At the level of "symbol", where a
fixed pattern can be set-down and studied which has
contained in it the elements which work together to
replicate this pattern (like saying that in a
sentence are the words and the grammar which impart
the "meaning" of the pattern to another speaker who
repeats this *pattern* using a different behavior or
different words-- but the sentence itself can be
written down and studied as a fixed symbolic form of
the pattern whose elements are contained in it in a
way that they might illustrate the "meaning" of the
sentence).
B. Lane Robertson
Indiana, USA
http://www.window.to/mindrec
Bio: http://members.theglobe.com/bretthay
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