Re: virus: Virus Invades Cybernetics Conference

David Rosdeitcher (76473.3041@compuserve.com)
Sun, 20 Sep 1998 11:52:20 -0400


Eric Boyd wrote:
>David Rosdeitcher <76473.3041@compuserve.com> wrote:
>> "...Basically, there's this competition between 2 meme-complexes:
>> 1)What I call the Darwinian meme-complex or metameme which is
>> characterized by the notion that our ideas evolve, like other things
>> in nature, and 2)what I call a Platonistic meme-complex or
>> traditional religion, which claims that certain ideas are eternal
>> unchanging ultimate truths.

>I see the categories above as a specific example of a general division of
>knowledge -- procedural and declarative. Skills and Facts, if you will.
>Or Ritual and Dogma. I think you've missed a vital fact if you think that
>religion(s) use only declarative knowledge.

What does the distinction between Darwinian and Platonistic idea systems
have to do with ritual vs dogma? Both systems can have rituals.

>I say we're a cult. What do you say?

Cults are klan-like groups that have a set of dogma that makes their
members reject anything outside the cult. I'd say for a cult, we're pretty
open to merging (our view with other people's view) with outsiders. BTW,
cults typically have rituals, but you claim we don't. So, why do you say
we're a cult, Eric?

--David R.