Meme - Wikipedia

The lack of a consistent, rigorous, and precise understanding of what typically makes up one unit of cultural transmission remains a problem in debates ... Meme FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia Jumptonavigation Jumptosearch Thoughtorideathatcanbeshared,inanalogytoagene Forthestreetperformer,seeMime. Thisarticleisabouttheterm"meme"ingeneral.Fortheusageofthetermontheinternet(oratrendthatspreadsquickly),seeInternetmeme.Forotheruses,seeMeme(disambiguation). 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Ameme(/miːm/MEEM)[1][2][3]isanidea,behavior,orstylethatspreadsbymeansofimitationfrompersontopersonwithinacultureandoftencarriessymbolicmeaningrepresentingaparticularphenomenonortheme.[4]Amemeactsasaunitforcarryingculturalideas,symbols,orpractices,thatcanbetransmittedfromonemindtoanotherthroughwriting,speech,gestures,rituals,orotherimitablephenomenawithamimickedtheme.Supportersoftheconceptregardmemesasculturalanaloguestogenesinthattheyself-replicate,mutate,andrespondtoselectivepressures.[5] Proponentstheorizethatmemesareaviralphenomenonthatmayevolvebynaturalselectioninamanneranalogoustothatofbiologicalevolution.[6]Memesdothisthroughtheprocessesofvariation,mutation,competition,andinheritance,eachofwhichinfluencesameme'sreproductivesuccess.Memesspreadthroughthebehaviorthattheygenerateintheirhosts.Memesthatpropagatelessprolificallymaybecomeextinct,whileothersmaysurvive,spread,and(forbetterorforworse)mutate.Memesthatreplicatemosteffectivelyenjoymoresuccess,andsomemayreplicateeffectivelyevenwhentheyprovetobedetrimentaltothewelfareoftheirhosts.[7] Afieldofstudycalledmemetics[8]aroseinthe1990stoexploretheconceptsandtransmissionofmemesintermsofanevolutionarymodel.Criticismfromavarietyoffrontshaschallengedthenotionthatacademicstudycanexaminememesempirically.However,developmentsinneuroimagingmaymakeempiricalstudypossible.[9]Somecommentatorsinthesocialsciencesquestiontheideathatonecanmeaningfullycategorizecultureintermsofdiscreteunits,andareespeciallycriticalofthebiologicalnatureofthetheory'sunderpinnings.[10]Othershavearguedthatthisuseofthetermistheresultofamisunderstandingoftheoriginalproposal.[11] ThewordmemeitselfisaneologismcoinedbyRichardDawkins,originatingfromhis1976bookTheSelfishGene.[12]Dawkins'sownpositionissomewhatambiguous.HewelcomedN.K.Humphrey'ssuggestionthat"memesshouldbeconsideredaslivingstructures,notjustmetaphorically"[12]andproposedtoregardmemesas"physicallyresidinginthebrain."[13]AlthoughDawkinssaidhisoriginalintentionshadbeensimpler,heapprovedHumphrey'sopinionandheendorsedSusanBlackmore's1999projecttogiveascientifictheoryofmemes,completewithpredictionsandempiricalsupport.[14] Contents 1Etymology 2Origins 2.1Earlyformulations 2.2Dawkins 3Memeticlifecycle:transmission,retention 4Memesasdiscreteunits 5Evolutionaryinfluencesonmemes 6Memetics 7Criticismofmemetheory 8Applications 8.1Memeticexplanationsofracism 9Religion 10Architecturalmemes 11Internetculture 11.1Memestocks 12Seealso 13Notes 14References 15Externallinks Etymology Thetermmemeisashortening(modeledongene)ofmimeme,whichcomesfromAncientGreekmīmēma(μίμημα;pronounced [míːmɛːma]),meaning'imitatedthing',itselffrommimeisthai(μιμεῖσθαι,'toimitate'),frommimos(μῖμος,'mime').[15] ThewordwascoinedbyBritishevolutionarybiologistRichardDawkinsinTheSelfishGene(1976)asaconceptfordiscussionofevolutionaryprinciplesinexplainingthespreadofideasandculturalphenomena.[12][16]ExamplesofmemesgiveninDawkins'bookincludemelodies,catchphrases,fashion,andthetechnologyofbuildingarches.[17]Theword'meme'isautologicalinnature,meaningit'sawordthatdescribesitself;inotherwords,theword'meme'isitselfameme.[citationneeded] Origins RichardDawkinscoinedthewordmemeinhis1976bookTheSelfishGene Earlyformulations AlthoughRichardDawkinsinventedthetermmemeanddevelopedmemetheory,hehasnotclaimedthattheideawasentirelynovel,[18]andtherehavebeenotherexpressionsforsimilarideasinthepast.[19] Forinstance,thepossibilitythatideasweresubjecttothesamepressuresofevolutionaswerebiologicalattributeswasdiscussedinthetimeofCharlesDarwin.T.H.Huxley(1880)claimedthat"Thestruggleforexistenceholdsasmuchintheintellectualasinthephysicalworld.Atheoryisaspeciesofthinking,anditsrighttoexistiscoextensivewithitspowerofresistingextinctionbyitsrivals."[20] In1904,RichardSemonpublishedDieMneme(whichappearedinEnglishin1924asTheMneme).ThetermmnemewasalsousedinMauriceMaeterlinck'sTheLifeoftheWhiteAnt(1926),withsomeparallelstoDawkins'sconcept.[19]KennethPikehad,in1954,coinedtherelatedtermsemicandetic,generalizingthelinguisticunitsofphoneme,morpheme,grapheme,lexeme,andtagmeme(assetoutbyLeonardBloomfield),distinguishinginsiderandoutsideviewsofcommunicativebehavior.[21] Dawkins ThewordmemeoriginatedwithRichardDawkins'1976bookTheSelfishGene. DawkinscitesasinspirationtheworkofgeneticistL.L.Cavalli-Sforza,anthropologistF.T.Cloak,[22][23]andethologistJ.M.Cullen.[24]Dawkinswrotethatevolutiondependednotontheparticularchemicalbasisofgenetics,butonlyontheexistenceofaself-replicatingunitoftransmission—inthecaseofbiologicalevolution,thegene.ForDawkins,thememeexemplifiedanotherself-replicatingunitwithpotentialsignificanceinexplaininghumanbehaviorandculturalevolution. "Kilroywashere"wasagraffitothatbecamepopularinthe1940s,andexistedundervariousnamesindifferentcountries,illustratinghowamemecanbemodifiedthroughreplication.Thisisseenasoneofthefirstwidespreadmemesintheworld[25] Dawkinsusedthetermtorefertoanyculturalentitythatanobservermightconsiderareplicator.Hehypothesizedthatonecouldviewmanyculturalentitiesasreplicators,andpointedtomelodies,fashionsandlearnedskillsasexamples.Memesgenerallyreplicatethroughexposuretohumans,whohaveevolvedasefficientcopiersofinformationandbehavior.Becausehumansdonotalwayscopymemesperfectly,andbecausetheymayrefine,combineorotherwisemodifythemwithothermemestocreatenewmemes,theycanchangeovertime.Dawkinslikenedtheprocessbywhichmemessurviveandchangethroughtheevolutionofculturetothenaturalselectionofgenesinbiologicalevolution.[17] Dawkinsdefinedthememeasaunitofculturaltransmission,oraunitofimitationandreplication,butlaterdefinitionswouldvary.Thelackofaconsistent,rigorous,andpreciseunderstandingofwhattypicallymakesuponeunitofculturaltransmissionremainsaproblemindebatesaboutmemetics.[26]Incontrast,theconceptofgeneticsgainedconcreteevidencewiththediscoveryofthebiologicalfunctionsofDNA.Memetransmissionrequiresaphysicalmedium,suchasphotons,soundwaves,touch,taste,orsmellbecausememescanbetransmittedonlythroughthesenses. Dawkinsnotedthatinasocietywithcultureapersonneednothavedescendantstoremaininfluentialintheactionsofindividualsthousandsofyearsaftertheirdeath: Butifyoucontributetotheworld'sculture,ifyouhaveagoodidea...itmayliveon,intact,longafteryourgeneshavedissolvedinthecommonpool.Socratesmayormaynothaveageneortwoaliveintheworldtoday,asG.C.Williamshasremarked,butwhocares?Thememe-complexesofSocrates,Leonardo,CopernicusandMarconiarestillgoingstrong.[6] Memeticlifecycle:transmission,retention Seealso:Diffusionofinnovations ImitatingthefamouscoveroftheBeatlesalbumAbbeyRoad,onwhichthebandmemberscrosstheroadinfrontoftheAbbeyRoadStudiosinarow,hasbecomepopularwithfansandLondonvisitors ThefouractressesoftheJapanesemanga/mediafranchiseMilkyHolmesreenacttheBeatlescoverin2010 Memes,analogouslytogenes,varyintheiraptitudetoreplicate;successfulmemesremainandspread,whereasunfitonesstallandareforgotten.Thus,memesthatprovemoreeffectiveatreplicatingandsurvivingareselectedinthememepool. Memesfirstneedretention.Thelongeramemestaysinitshosts,thehigheritschancesofpropagationare.Whenahostusesameme,thememe'slifeisextended.[27]Thereuseoftheneuralspacehostingacertainmeme'scopytohostdifferentmemesisthegreatestthreattothatmeme'scopy.[28]Amemethatincreasesthelongevityofitshostswillgenerallysurvivelonger.Onthecontrary,amemethatshortensthelongevityofitshostswilltendtodisappearfaster.However,ashostsaremortal,retentionisnotsufficienttoperpetuateamemeinthelongterm;memesalsoneedtransmission. Life-formscantransmitinformationbothvertically(fromparenttochild,viareplicationofgenes)andhorizontally(throughvirusesandothermeans). Memescanreplicateverticallyorhorizontallywithinasinglebiologicalgeneration.Theymayalsoliedormantforlongperiodsoftime. Memesreproducebycopyingfromanervoussystemtoanotherone,eitherbycommunicationorimitation.Imitationofteninvolvesthecopyingofanobservedbehaviorofanotherindividual.Communicationmaybedirectorindirect,wherememestransmitfromoneindividualtoanotherthroughacopyrecordedinaninanimatesource,suchasabookoramusicalscore.AdamMcNamarahassuggestedthatmemescanbetherebyclassifiedaseitherinternalorexternalmemes(i-memesore-memes).[9] Somecommentatorshavelikenedthetransmissionofmemestothespreadofcontagions.[29]Socialcontagionssuchasfads,hysteria,copycatcrime,andcopycatsuicideexemplifymemesseenasthecontagiousimitationofideas.Observersdistinguishthecontagiousimitationofmemesfrominstinctivelycontagiousphenomenasuchasyawningandlaughing,whichtheyconsiderinnate(ratherthansociallylearned)behaviors.[30] AaronLynchdescribedsevengeneralpatternsofmemetransmission,or"thoughtcontagion":[31] Quantityofparenthood:anideathatinfluencesthenumberofchildrenonehas.Childrenrespondparticularlyreceptivelytotheideasoftheirparents,andthusideasthatdirectlyorindirectlyencourageahigherbirthratewillreplicatethemselvesatahigherratethanthosethatdiscouragehigherbirthrates. Efficiencyofparenthood:anideathatincreasestheproportionofchildrenwhowilladoptideasoftheirparents.Culturalseparatismexemplifiesonepracticeinwhichonecanexpectahigherrateofmeme-replication—becausethememeforseparationcreatesabarrierfromexposuretocompetingideas. Proselytic:ideasgenerallypassedtoothersbeyondone'sownchildren.Ideasthatencouragetheproselytismofameme,asseeninmanyreligiousorpoliticalmovements,canreplicatememeshorizontallythroughagivengeneration,spreadingmorerapidlythanparent-to-childmeme-transmissionsdo. Preservational:ideasthatinfluencethosethatholdthemtocontinuetoholdthemforalongtime.Ideasthatencouragelongevityintheirhosts,orleavetheirhostsparticularlyresistanttoabandoningorreplacingtheseideas,enhancethepreservabilityofmemesandaffordprotectionfromthecompetitionorproselytismofothermemes. Adversative:ideasthatinfluencethosethatholdthemtoattackorsabotagecompetingideasand/orthosethatholdthem.Adversativereplicationcangiveanadvantageinmemetransmissionwhenthememeitselfencouragesaggressionagainstothermemes. Cognitive:ideasperceivedascogentbymostinthepopulationwhoencounterthem.Cognitivelytransmittedmemesdependheavilyonaclusterofotherideasandcognitivetraitsalreadywidelyheldinthepopulation,andthususuallyspreadmorepassivelythanotherformsofmemetransmission.Memesspreadincognitivetransmissiondonotcountasself-replicating. Motivational:ideasthatpeopleadoptbecausetheyperceivesomeself-interestinadoptingthem.Strictlyspeaking,motivationallytransmittedmemesdonotself-propagate,butthismodeoftransmissionoftenoccursinassociationwithmemesself-replicatedintheefficiencyparental,proselyticandpreservationalmodes. Memesasdiscreteunits Dawkinsinitiallydefinedmemeasanounthat"conveystheideaofaunitofculturaltransmission,oraunitofimitation."[17]JohnS.Wilkinsretainedthenotionofmemeasakernelofculturalimitationwhileemphasizingthememe'sevolutionaryaspect,definingthememeas"theleastunitofsocioculturalinformationrelativetoaselectionprocessthathasfavorableorunfavorableselectionbiasthatexceedsitsendogenoustendencytochange."[32]Thememeasaunitprovidesaconvenientmeansofdiscussing"apieceofthoughtcopiedfrompersontoperson,"regardlessofwhetherthatthoughtcontainsothersinsideit,orformspartofalargermeme.Amemecouldconsistofasingleword,oramemecouldconsistoftheentirespeechinwhichthatwordfirstoccurred.Thisformsananalogytotheideaofageneasasingleunitofself-replicatinginformationfoundontheself-replicatingchromosome. Whiletheidentificationofmemesas"units"conveystheirnaturetoreplicateasdiscrete,indivisibleentities,itdoesnotimplythatthoughtssomehowbecomequantizedorthat"atomic"ideasexistthatcannotbedissectedintosmallerpieces.Amemehasnogivensize.SusanBlackmorewritesthatmelodiesfromBeethoven'ssymphoniesarecommonlyusedtoillustratethedifficultyinvolvedindelimitingmemesasdiscreteunits.ShenotesthatwhilethefirstfournotesofBeethoven'sFifthSymphony(listen (help·info))formamemewidelyreplicatedasanindependentunit,onecanregardtheentiresymphonyasasinglememeaswell.[26] Theinabilitytopinanideaorculturalfeaturetoquantifiablekeyunitsiswidelyacknowledgedasaproblemformemetics.Ithasbeenarguedhoweverthatthetracesofmemeticprocessingcanbequantifiedutilizingneuroimagingtechniqueswhichmeasurechangesintheconnectivityprofilesbetweenbrainregions."[9]Blackmoremeetssuchcriticismbystatingthatmemescomparewithgenesinthisrespect:thatwhileagenehasnoparticularsize,norcanweascribeeveryphenotypicfeaturedirectlytoaparticulargene,ithasvaluebecauseitencapsulatesthatkeyunitofinheritedexpressionsubjecttoevolutionarypressures.Toillustrate,shenotesevolutionselectsforthegeneforfeaturessuchaseyecolor;itdoesnotselectfortheindividualnucleotideinastrandofDNA.Memesplayacomparableroleinunderstandingtheevolutionofimitatedbehaviors.[26] Genes,Mind,andCulture:TheCoevolutionaryProcess(1981)byCharlesJ.LumsdenandE.O.Wilsonproposesthetheorythatgenesandcultureco-evolve,andthatthefundamentalbiologicalunitsofculturemustcorrespondtoneuronalnetworksthatfunctionasnodesofsemanticmemory.LumsdenandWilsoncoinedtheirownword,culturgen,whichdidnotcatchon.CoauthorWilsonlateracknowledgedthetermmemeasthebestlabelforthefundamentalunitofculturalinheritanceinhis1998bookConsilience:TheUnityofKnowledge,whichelaboratesuponthefundamentalroleofmemesinunifyingthenaturalandsocialsciences.[33] Evolutionaryinfluencesonmemes Dawkinsnotedthethreeconditionsthatmustexistforevolutiontooccur:[34] variation,ortheintroductionofnewchangetoexistingelements; heredityorreplication,orthecapacitytocreatecopiesofelements; differential"fitness",ortheopportunityforoneelementtobemoreorlesssuitedtotheenvironmentthananother. Dawkinsemphasizesthattheprocessofevolutionnaturallyoccurswhenevertheseconditionsco-exist,andthatevolutiondoesnotapplyonlytoorganicelementssuchasgenes.Heregardsmemesasalsohavingthepropertiesnecessaryforevolution,andthusseesmemeevolutionasnotsimplyanalogoustogeneticevolution,butasarealphenomenonsubjecttothelawsofnaturalselection.Dawkinsnotedthatasvariousideaspassfromonegenerationtothenext,theymayeitherenhanceordetractfromthesurvivalofthepeoplewhoobtainthoseideas,orinfluencethesurvivaloftheideasthemselves.Forexample,acertainculturemaydevelopuniquedesignsandmethodsoftool-makingthatgiveitacompetitiveadvantageoveranotherculture.Eachtool-designthusactssomewhatsimilarlytoabiologicalgeneinthatsomepopulationshaveitandothersdonot,andthememe'sfunctiondirectlyaffectsthepresenceofthedesigninfuturegenerations.Inkeepingwiththethesisthatinevolutiononecanregardorganismssimplyassuitable"hosts"forreproducinggenes,Dawkinsarguesthatonecanviewpeopleas"hosts"forreplicatingmemes.Consequently,asuccessfulmememayormaynotneedtoprovideanybenefittoitshost.[34] Unlikegeneticevolution,memeticevolutioncanshowbothDarwinianandLamarckiantraits.CulturalmemeswillhavethecharacteristicofLamarckianinheritancewhenahostaspirestoreplicatethegivenmemethroughinferenceratherthanbyexactlycopyingit.Takeforexamplethecaseofthetransmissionofasimpleskillsuchashammeringanail,askillthatalearnerimitatesfromwatchingademonstrationwithoutnecessarilyimitatingeverydiscretemovementmodeledbytheteacherinthedemonstration,strokeforstroke.[35]SusanBlackmoredistinguishesthedifferencebetweenthetwomodesofinheritanceintheevolutionofmemes,characterizingtheDarwinianmodeas"copyingtheinstructions"andtheLamarckianas"copyingtheproduct."[26] Clustersofmemes,ormemeplexes(alsoknownasmemecomplexesorasmemecomplexes),suchasculturalorpoliticaldoctrinesandsystems,mayalsoplayapartintheacceptanceofnewmemes.Memeplexescomprisegroupsofmemesthatreplicatetogetherandcoadapt.[26]Memesthatfitwithinasuccessfulmemeplexmaygainacceptanceby"piggybacking"onthesuccessofthememeplex. Asanexample,JohnD.Gottschdiscussesthetransmission,mutationandselectionofreligiousmemeplexesandthetheisticmemescontained.[36]Theisticmemesdiscussedincludethe"prohibitionofaberrantsexualpracticessuchasincest,adultery,homosexuality,bestiality,castration,andreligiousprostitution",whichmayhaveincreasedverticaltransmissionoftheparentreligiousmemeplex.Similarmemesaretherebyincludedinthemajorityofreligiousmemeplexes,andhardenovertime;theybecomean"inviolablecanon"orsetofdogmas,eventuallyfindingtheirwayintosecularlaw.Thiscouldalsobereferredtoasthepropagationofataboo. Memetics Mainarticle:MemeticsThissectiondoesnotciteanysources.Pleasehelpimprovethissectionbyaddingcitationstoreliablesources.Unsourcedmaterialmaybechallengedandremoved.(August2020)(Learnhowandwhentoremovethistemplatemessage) Thedisciplineofmemetics,whichdatesfromthemid-1980s,providesanapproachtoevolutionarymodelsofculturalinformationtransferbasedontheconceptofthememe.Memeticistshaveproposedthatjustasmemesfunctionanalogouslytogenes,memeticsfunctionsanalogouslytogenetics.Memeticsattemptstoapplyconventionalscientificmethods(suchasthoseusedinpopulationgeneticsandepidemiology)toexplainexistingpatternsandtransmissionofculturalideas. Principalcriticismsofmemeticsincludetheclaimthatmemeticsignoresestablishedadvancesinotherfieldsofculturalstudy,suchassociology,culturalanthropology,cognitivepsychology,andsocialpsychology.Questionsremainwhetherornotthememeconceptcountsasavalidlydisprovablescientifictheory.Thisviewregardsmemeticsasatheoryinitsinfancy:aprotosciencetoproponents,orapseudosciencetosomedetractors. Criticismofmemetheory Seealso:Memetics§ Criticsofmemetics Thissectionneedsexpansion.Youcanhelpbyaddingtoit.(February2021) Anobjectiontothestudyoftheevolutionofmemesingeneticterms(althoughnottotheexistenceofmemes)involvesaperceivedgapinthegene/memeanalogy:thecumulativeevolutionofgenesdependsonbiologicalselection-pressuresneithertoogreatnortoosmallinrelationtomutation-rates.Thereseemsnoreasontothinkthatthesamebalancewillexistintheselectionpressuresonmemes.[37] LuisBenitez-BribiescaM.D.,acriticofmemetics,callsthetheorya"pseudoscientificdogma"and"adangerousideathatposesathreattotheseriousstudyofconsciousnessandculturalevolution".Asafactualcriticism,Benitez-Bribiescapointstothelackofa"codescript"formemes(analogoustotheDNAofgenes),andtotheexcessiveinstabilityofthemememutationmechanism(thatofanideagoingfromonebraintoanother),whichwouldleadtoalowreplicationaccuracyandahighmutationrate,renderingtheevolutionaryprocesschaotic.[38]InhisbookDarwin'sDangerousIdeaDanielC.Dennettrebutsthisclaim,pointingtotheexistenceofself-regulatingcorrectionmechanisms(vaguelyresemblingthoseofgenetranscription)enabledbytheredundancyandotherpropertiesofmostmemeexpressionlanguageswhichstabilizeinformationtransfer.[39]Dennettnotesthatspiritualnarratives,includingmusicanddanceforms,cansurviveinfulldetailacrossanynumberofgenerationsevenincultureswithoraltraditiononly.Memesforwhichstablecopyingmethodsareavailablewillinevitablygetselectedforsurvivalmoreoftenthanthosewhichcanonlyhaveunstablemutations,thereforegoingextinct. BritishpoliticalphilosopherJohnGrayhascharacterizedDawkins'smemetictheoryofreligionas"nonsense"and"notevenatheory...thelatestinasuccessionofill-judgedDarwinianmetaphors",comparabletoIntelligentDesigninitsvalueasascience.[40] AnothercritiquecomesfromsemiotictheoristssuchasTerrenceDeacon[41]andKaleviKull.[42]Thisviewregardstheconceptof"meme"asaprimitivizedconceptof"sign".Thememeisthusdescribedinmemeticsasasignlackingatriadicnature.Semioticianscanregardamemeasa"degenerate"sign,whichincludesonlyitsabilityofbeingcopied.Accordingly,inthebroadestsense,theobjectsofcopyingarememes,whereastheobjectsoftranslationandinterpretationaresigns.[clarificationneeded] FracchiaandLewontinregardmemeticsasreductionistandinadequate.[43]EvolutionarybiologistErnstMayrdisapprovedofDawkins'sgene-basedviewandusageoftheterm"meme",assertingittobean"unnecessarysynonym"for"concept",reasoningthatconceptsarenotrestrictedtoanindividualorageneration,maypersistforlongperiodsoftime,andmayevolve.[44] RadimChvaja,aresearcherforMasarykUniversitystatesthatMemetictheoryhasfailedduetotheidea'sfoundersRichardDawkinsandGeorgeC.Williamstakingona"strictadoption"oftheirargumentwhichinturnforcedthemtodigintotheideathatthereplicationofamemeisbiologicalinnature.[45] ElliottOringcallsDawkins'term"theselfishgene"potentially"dangerousandmisleading".Dawkins',accordingtoOring,suggestionthatgenesaren'talreadyselfishinthesensethattheywilldowhateverittakestosurviveandreplicateasitis.Memes,asDawkinsdescribesthemdonotbehavethatwayaccordingtoOring.Theydonothavestrictgenerationallines,theydonotdowhateverittakestoassuretheirownsurvivalasmemesarenotalive.Oringgoesontosaythatmemesaredissimilarfromgenesinthesensethattheydonotparticularlyneedtokeeptheirindividualbiologicalhostsalive,astheydonotrelyonanytypeofgeneticcodetoreplicateandreproduce.Oringsuggeststhattheproblemwithmemesasawholeisthattheycannotbe"preciselyspecified".[46] Applications Opinionsdifferastohowbesttoapplytheconceptofmemeswithina"proper"disciplinaryframework.Oneviewseesmemesasprovidingausefulphilosophicalperspectivewithwhichtoexamineculturalevolution.Proponentsofthisview(suchasSusanBlackmoreandDanielDennett)arguethatconsideringculturaldevelopmentsfromameme's-eyeview—asifmemesthemselvesrespondtopressuretomaximisetheirownreplicationandsurvival—canleadtousefulinsightsandyieldvaluablepredictionsintohowculturedevelopsovertime.OtherssuchasBruceEdmondsandRobertAungerhavefocusedontheneedtoprovideanempiricalgroundingformemeticstobecomeausefulandrespectedscientificdiscipline.[47][48] Athirdapproach,describedbyJosephPoulshock,as"radicalmemetics"seekstoplacememesatthecentreofamaterialistictheoryofmindandofpersonalidentity.[49] Prominentresearchersinevolutionarypsychologyandanthropology,includingScottAtran,DanSperber,PascalBoyer,JohnToobyandothers,arguethepossibilityofincompatibilitybetweenmodularityofmindandmemetics.[citationneeded]Intheirview,mindsstructurecertaincommunicableaspectsoftheideasproduced,andthesecommunicableaspectsgenerallytriggerorelicitideasinothermindsthroughinference(torelativelyrichstructuresgeneratedfromoftenlow-fidelityinput)andnothigh-fidelityreplicationorimitation.Atrandiscussescommunicationinvolvingreligiousbeliefsasacaseinpoint.InonesetofexperimentsheaskedreligiouspeopletowritedownonapieceofpaperthemeaningsoftheTenCommandments.Despitethesubjects'ownexpectationsofconsensus,interpretationsofthecommandmentsshowedwiderangesofvariation,withlittleevidenceofconsensus.Inanotherexperiment,subjectswithautismandsubjectswithoutautisminterpretedideologicalandreligioussayings(forexample,"Letathousandflowersbloom"or"Toeverythingthereisaseason").Peoplewithautismshowedasignificanttendencytocloselyparaphraseandrepeatcontentfromtheoriginalstatement(forexample:"Don'tcutflowersbeforetheybloom").Controlstendedtoinferawiderrangeofculturalmeaningswithlittlereplicatedcontent(forexample:"Gowiththeflow"or"Everyoneshouldhaveequalopportunity").Onlythesubjectswithautism—wholackthedegreeofinferentialcapacitynormallyassociatedwithaspectsoftheoryofmind—cameclosetofunctioningas"mememachines."[50] InhisbookTheRobot'sRebellion,KeithStanovichusesthememesandmemeplexconceptstodescribeaprogramofcognitivereformthathereferstoasa"rebellion."Specifically,Stanovicharguesthattheuseofmemesasadescriptorforculturalunitsisbeneficialbecauseitservestoemphasizetransmissionandacquisitionpropertiesthatparallelthestudyofepidemiology.Thesepropertiesmakesalientthesometimesparasiticnatureofacquiredmemes,andasaresultindividualsshouldbemotivatedtoreflectivelyacquirememesusingwhathecallsa"Neurathianbootstrap"process.[51] Memeticexplanationsofracism InCulturalSoftware:ATheoryofIdeology,JackBalkinarguedthatmemeticprocessescanexplainmanyofthemostfamiliarfeaturesofideologicalthought.Histheoryof"culturalsoftware"maintainedthatmemesformnarratives,socialnetworks,metaphoricandmetonymicmodels,andavarietyofdifferentmentalstructures.Balkinmaintainsthatthesamestructuresusedtogenerateideasaboutfreespeechorfreemarketsalsoservetogenerateracisticbeliefs.ToBalkin,whethermemesbecomeharmfulormaladaptivedependsontheenvironmentalcontextinwhichtheyexistratherthaninanyspecialsourceormannertotheirorigination.Balkindescribesracistbeliefsas"fantasy"memesthatbecomeharmfulorunjust"ideologies"whendiversepeoplescometogether,asthroughtradeorcompetition.[52] Religion Seealso:Evolutionarypsychologyofreligion RichardDawkinscalledforare-analysisofreligionintermsoftheevolutionofself-replicatingideasapartfromanyresultingbiologicaladvantagestheymightbestow. AsanenthusiasticDarwinian,Ihavebeendissatisfiedwithexplanationsthatmyfellow-enthusiastshaveofferedforhumanbehaviour.Theyhavetriedtolookfor'biologicaladvantages'invariousattributesofhumancivilization.Forinstance,tribalreligionhasbeenseenasamechanismforsolidifyinggroupidentity,valuableforapack-huntingspecieswhoseindividualsrelyoncooperationtocatchlargeandfastprey.Frequentlytheevolutionarypreconceptionintermsofwhichsuchtheoriesareframedisimplicitlygroup-selectionist,butitispossibletorephrasethetheoriesintermsoforthodoxgeneselection.— RichardDawkins,TheSelfishGene Hearguedthattheroleofkeyreplicatorinculturalevolutionbelongsnottogenes,buttomemesreplicatingthoughtfrompersontopersonbymeansofimitation.Thesereplicatorsrespondtoselectivepressuresthatmayormaynotaffectbiologicalreproductionorsurvival.[17] InherbookTheMemeMachine,SusanBlackmoreregardsreligionsasparticularlytenaciousmemes.Manyofthefeaturescommontothemostwidelypracticedreligionsprovidebuilt-inadvantagesinanevolutionarycontext,shewrites.Forexample,religionsthatpreachofthevalueoffaithoverevidencefromeverydayexperienceorreasoninoculatesocietiesagainstmanyofthemostbasictoolspeoplecommonlyusetoevaluatetheirideas.Bylinkingaltruismwithreligiousaffiliation,religiousmemescanproliferatemorequicklybecausepeopleperceivethattheycanreapsocietalaswellaspersonalrewards.Thelongevityofreligiousmemesimproveswiththeirdocumentationinreveredreligioustexts.[26] AaronLynchattributedtherobustnessofreligiousmemesinhumanculturetothefactthatsuchmemesincorporatemultiplemodesofmemetransmission.Religiousmemespassdownthegenerationsfromparenttochildandacrossasinglegenerationthroughthememe-exchangeofproselytism.Mostpeoplewillholdthereligiontaughtthembytheirparentsthroughouttheirlife.Manyreligionsfeatureadversarialelements,punishingapostasy,forinstance,ordemonizinginfidels.InThoughtContagionLynchidentifiesthememesoftransmissioninChristianityasespeciallypowerfulinscope.Believersviewtheconversionofnon-believersbothasareligiousdutyandasanactofaltruism.Thepromiseofheaventobelieversandthreatofhelltonon-believersprovideastrongincentiveformemberstoretaintheirbelief.LynchassertsthatbeliefintheCrucifixionofJesusinChristianityamplifieseachofitsotherreplicationadvantagesthroughtheindebtednessbelievershavetotheirSaviorforsacrificeonthecross.Theimageofthecrucifixionrecursinreligioussacraments,andtheproliferationofsymbolsofthecrossinhomesandchurchespotentlyreinforcesthewidearrayofChristianmemes.[31] Althoughreligiousmemeshaveproliferatedinhumancultures,themodernscientificcommunityhasbeenrelativelyresistanttoreligiousbelief.Robertson(2007)[53]reasonedthatifevolutionisacceleratedinconditionsofpropagativedifficulty,[39]thenwewouldexpecttoencountervariationsofreligiousmemes,establishedingeneralpopulations,addressedtoscientificcommunities.Usingamemeticapproach,Robertsondeconstructedtwoattemptstoprivilegereligiouslyheldspiritualityinscientificdiscourse.Advantagesofamemeticapproachascomparedtomoretraditional"modernization"and"supplyside"thesesinunderstandingtheevolutionandpropagationofreligionwereexplored. Architecturalmemes InATheoryofArchitecture,NikosSalingarosspeaksofmemesas"freelypropagatingclustersofinformation"whichcanbebeneficialorharmful.Hecontrastsmemestopatternsandtrueknowledge,characterizingmemesas"greatlysimplifiedversionsofpatterns"andas"unreasonedmatchingtosomevisualormnemonicprototype."[54]TakingreferencetoDawkins,Salingarosemphasizesthattheycanbetransmittedduetotheirowncommunicativeproperties,that"thesimplertheyare,thefastertheycanproliferate,"andthatthemostsuccessfulmemes"comewithagreatpsychologicalappeal."[55] Architecturalmemes,accordingtoSalingaros,canhavedestructivepower:"Imagesportrayedinarchitecturalmagazinesrepresentingbuildingsthatcouldnotpossiblyaccommodateeverydayusesbecomefixedinourmemory,sowereproducethemunconsciously."[56]Helistsvariousarchitecturalmemesthatcirculatedsincethe1920sandwhich,inhisview,haveledtocontemporaryarchitecturebecomingquitedecoupledfromhumanneeds.Theylackconnectionandmeaning,therebypreventing"thecreationoftrueconnectionsnecessarytoourunderstandingoftheworld."Heseesthemasnodifferentfromantipatternsinsoftwaredesign—assolutionsthatarefalsebutarere-utilizednonetheless.[57] Internetculture Mainarticle:Internetmeme Seealso:ListofInternetphenomena An"Internetmeme"isaconceptthatspreadsrapidlyfrompersontopersonviatheInternet.[58]typicallyasaformofhumor. In2013,RichardDawkinscharacterizedanInternetmemeasonedeliberatelyalteredbyhumancreativity,distinguishedfromhisoriginalideainvolvingmutation"byrandomchangeandaformofDarwinianselection."[59] Internetmemeshavebeenaroundsincethebeginningoftheinternetitself,butweremademassivelypopularwhensocialmediasitesandmessageboardsfirstbeganpoppingup.Typically,memeshavebeenbasedonacertainformatsuchasthe'GrumpyCat'or'Bad-LuckBrian'memesthatwerepopularintheearly2010's.thecreatorofthememeconveysamessagethroughsaidformat.Internetmemeshavebecomeoneoftheprimaryformsofdigitalcommunicationinthepasttwodecades.Theyareusedbyeverydaypeopleforpurposesofself-expression,theyareusedbybusinessesforadvertisingpurposes,bypoliticalgroupstomakepointsorconveymessagestotheirfollowers,forcomedicpurposesandevenforreligiousreasons. InternetmemesareanexampleofDawkins'memetheoryatworkinthesenseofhowtheysorapidlymirrorcurrentculturaleventsandbecomeapartofhowthetimeperiodisdefined.LimorShifmanusestheexampleofthe'GangnamStyle'MusicvideobySouthKoreanpop-star,Psythatwentviralin2012.Shifmancitesexamplesofhowthemememutateditselfintotheculturalsphere,mixingwithotherthingsgoingonatthetimesuchasthe2012U.S.presidentialelection,whichledtothecreationofMittRomneyStyle,aparodyoftheoriginalGangnamstyle,intendedtobeajabatthe2012Republicanpresidentialcandidate,MittRomney. [60][61][62] Memestocks Mainarticle:Memestock Memestocks,aparticularsubsetofInternetmemesingeneral,arelistedcompanieslaudedforthesocialmediabuzztheycreate,ratherthantheiroperatingperformance.[63]r/wallstreetbets,asubredditwhereparticipantsdiscussstockandoptiontrading,andthefinancialservicescompanyRobinhoodMarkets,becamenotablein2021fortheirinvolvementonthepopularizationandenhancementofmemestocks.[64][65] Seealso Baldwineffect TheBeginningofInfinity Biosemiotics Chainletter Darwinmachine Dualinheritancetheory Evolutionarybiology Framing(socialsciences) Internetmeme Leidenschool Memeticalgorithm Memeticengineering Phraseme Propaganda Psycholinguistics Snowclone Survivals UniversalDarwinism Viralmarketing Viralvideo Notes ^"meme".OxfordDictionaries.Archivedfromtheoriginalon2019-05-23.Retrieved2017-12-30. ^"memeMeaningintheCambridgeEnglishDictionary".CambridgeDictionary. ^"memenoun".OxfordLearner'sDictionaries.Archivedfromtheoriginalon2019-05-20.Retrieved2017-12-30. ^Meme.Merriam-WebsterDictionary. ^Graham2002 ^abDawkins,Richard(2006).TheSelfishGene30thAnniversaryEdition(3rd ed.).OxfordUniversityPress.p. 199.ISBN 9780191537554. ^Kelly1994,p. 360"Butifweconsidercultureasitsownself-organizingsystem—asystemwithitsownagendaandpressuretosurvive—thenthehistoryofhumanitygetsevenmoreinteresting.AsRichardDawkinshasshown,systemsofself-replicatingideasormemescanquicklyaccumulatetheirownagendaandbehaviours.Iassignnohighermotivetoaculturalentitythantheprimitivedrivetoreproduceitselfandmodifyitsenvironmenttoaiditsspread.Onewaytheselforganizingsystemcandothisisbyconsuminghumanbiologicalresources." ^Heylighen&Chielens2009 ^abcMcNamara2011 ^Gill,Jameson.2011."Memesandnarrativeanalysis:Apotentialdirectionforthedevelopmentofneo-Darwinianorientatedresearchinorganisations."EURAM11:ProceedingsoftheEuropeanAcademyofManagement.EuropeanAcademyofManagement.ISSN 2466-7498.S2CID 54894144. ^Burman,J.T.(2012)."Themisunderstandingofmemes:Biographyofanunscientificobject,1976–1999".PerspectivesonScience.20(1):75–104.doi:10.1162/POSC_a_00057. ^abcDawkins1989,p. 192"Weneedanameforthenewreplicator,anounthatconveystheideaofaunitofculturaltransmission,oraunitofimitation.'Mimeme'comesfromasuitableGreekroot,butIwantamonosyllablethatsoundsabitlike'gene'.IhopemyclassicistfriendswillforgivemeifIabbreviatemimemetomeme.Ifitisanyconsolation,itcouldalternativelybethoughtofasbeingrelatedto'memory',ortotheFrenchwordmême.Itshouldbepronouncedtorhymewith'cream'." ^Dawkins,Richard(1982),TheExtendedPhenotype,OxfordUniversityPress,p. 109,ISBN 978-0-19-286088-0 ^Dawkins'sforewordtoBlackmore1999,p.xvi-xvii ^TheAmericanHeritageDictionaryoftheEnglishLanguage:FourthEdition,2000 ^Millikan2004,p. 16."RichardDawkinsinventedtheterm'memes'tostandforitemsthatarereproducedbyimitationratherthanreproducedgenetically." ^abcdDawkins1989,p. 352 ^Shalizi,CosmaRohilla."Memes".CenterfortheStudyofComplexSystems.UniversityofMichigan.Archivedfromtheoriginalon2012-06-11.Retrieved2021-10-08. ^abLaurent,John(1999)."ANoteontheOriginof'Memes'/'Mnemes'".JournalofMemetics.3(1):14–19.Archivedfromtheoriginalon2021-04-13. ^Huxley,T.H.(1880)."Thecomingofageof'Theoriginofspecies'".Science.1(2):15–20.doi:10.1126/science.os-1.2.15.PMID 17751948. ^KennethPike,LanguageinRelationtoaUnifiedTheoryoftheStructureofHumanBehavior(1954,revised1967) ^Cloak,F.T.1966."Culturalmicroevolution."ResearchPreviews13(2):7–10.(AlsopresentedattheNovember,1966annualmeetingoftheAmericanAnthropologicalAssociation.) ^Cloak,F.T.1975."Isaculturalethologypossible?"HumanEcology3:161–82.doi:10.1007/BF01531639. ^"TheSelfishGene:Chapter11-Summary&Analysis."LitCharts. ^Gardner,Martin(5March2000)."KilroyWasHere".LosAngelesTimes.Retrieved2021-10-08. ^abcdefBlackmore1999 ^Heylighen,Francis."Memereplication:thememeticlife-cycle".PrincipiaCybernetica.Retrieved2013-07-26. ^R.Evers,John."AjustificationofsocietalaltruismaccordingtothememeticapplicationofHamilton'srule".Retrieved2013-07-26. ^Blackmore1998;"Theterm'contagion'isoftenassociatedwithmemetics.Wemaysaythatcertainmemesarecontagious,ormorecontagiousthanothers." ^Blackmore1998 ^abLynch1996 ^ Wilkins,JohnS.(1998)."What'sinaMeme?Reflectionsfromtheperspectiveofthehistoryandphilosophyofevolutionarybiology".JournalofMemetics.2.Archivedfromtheoriginalon2009-12-01.Retrieved2008-12-13. ^Wilson1998 ^abDennett1991 ^Dawkins2004 ^Gottsch,JohnD.(2001)."Mutation,Selection,AndVerticalTransmissionOfTheisticMemesInReligiousCanons".JournalofMemetics.5(1).Archivedfromtheoriginalon2021-04-12.Retrieved2021-10-08. ^Sterelny&Griffiths1999;p.333 ^ BenitezBribiesca,Luis(January2001),"Memetics:Adangerousidea"(PDF),Interciencia:RevistadeCienciayTechnologiadeAmérica,26(1):29–31,ISSN 0378-1844,retrieved2010-02-11,Ifthemutationrateishighandtakesplaceovershortperiods,asmemeticspredict,insteadofselection,adaptationandsurvivalachaoticdisintegrationoccursduetotheaccumulationoferrors. ^abDennett,DanielC.(1995),Darwin'sDangerousIdea:Evolutionandthemeaningsoflife,NewYork:SimonandSchuster ^Gray,John(14March2008)."Theatheistdelusion".TheGuardian. ^Deacon,Terrence."Thetroublewithmemes(andwhattodoaboutit)".TheSemioticReviewofBooks.10:3. ^Kull,Kalevi(2000)."Copyversustranslate,memeversussign:developmentofbiologicaltextuality".EuropeanJournalforSemioticStudies.12(1):101–120. ^ Fracchia,Joseph;RCLewontin(February2005),"Thepriceofmetaphor",HistoryandTheory,44(1):14–29,doi:10.1111/j.1468-2303.2005.00305.x,ISSN 0018-2656,JSTOR 3590779,Theselectionistparadigmrequiresthereductionofsocietyandculturetoinheritancesystemsthatconsistofrandomlyvarying,individualunits,someofwhichareselected,andsomenot;andwithsocietyandculturethusreducedtoinheritancesystems,historycanbereducedto"evolution."[...][W]econcludethatwhilehistoricalphenomenacanalwaysbemodeledselectionistically,selectionistexplanationsdonowork,nordotheycontributeanythingnewexceptamisleadingvocabularythatanesthetizeshistory. ^Mayr,Ernst(1997)."Theobjectsofselection".ProceedingsoftheNationalAcademyofSciencesoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica.94(6):2091–2094.Bibcode:1997PNAS...94.2091M.doi:10.1073/pnas.94.6.2091.PMC 33654.PMID 9122151. ^Chvaja,Radim(August2020).[Chvaja,Radim(2020-08)."WhyDidMemeticsFail?ComparativeCaseStudy".PerspectivesonScience.28(4):542–570.doi:10.1162/posc_a_00350.ISSN1063-6145."WhydidMemeticsfail?ComparativeCasestudy"]Check|url=value(help).PerspectivesonScience.28:542–570. ^Oring,Elliot(April1995).[Mintz,Laurence;Oring,Elliott(1995-04)."JokesandTheirRelations".WesternFolklore.54(2):165.doi:10.2307/1500402.ISSN0043-373X.Checkdatevaluesin:|date=(help)"Jokesandtheirrelations"]Check|url=value(help).WesternFolklore.54:165. ^ Edmonds,Bruce(September2002)."ThreeChallengesfortheSurvivalofMemetics".JournalofMemetics.6(2).Archivedfromtheoriginalon2021-09-08.Retrieved2021-10-08. ^ Aunger2000 ^Poulshock2002 ^Atran2002 ^Stanovich,KeithE.(2004).TheRobot'sRebellion:FindingMeaningintheAgeofDarwin(1st ed.).UniversityOfChicagoPress.ISBN 978-0-226-77089-5. ^Balkin1998 ^Robertson,LloydHawkeye(2007),"Reflectionsontheuseofspiritualitytoprivilegereligioninscientificdiscourse:Incorporatingconsiderationsofself",JournalofReligionandHealth,46(3):449–461,doi:10.1007/s10943-006-9105-y,S2CID 39449795 ^Salingaros2008,pp. 243,260. ^Salingaros2008,pp. 243–245. ^Salingaros2008,p. 249. ^Salingaros2008,p. 259. ^Schubert,Karen(31July2003)."Bazaargoesbizarre".USAToday.Retrieved2007-07-05. ^Solon,Olivia(20June2013)."RichardDawkinsontheinternet'shijackingoftheword'meme'".WiredUK.Archivedfromtheoriginalon2013-07-09. ^Pettis,BenT.(19August2021).[Pettis,BenT.(2021-08-19)."KnowYourMemeandthehomogenizationofwebhistory".InternetHistories:1–17.doi:10.1080/24701475.2021.1968657.ISSN2470-1475."KnowyourmemeandthehomogenizationofWebhistory"]Check|url=value(help).InternetHistories.1–17. ^Denisova,Anastasia(2019).InternetMemesandSociety:Social,CulturalandPoliticalContexts.NewYork:Routledge.pp. 13–26.ISBN 9780429469404. ^Shifman,Limor(26March2013).[Shifman,Limor(2013-03-26)."MemesinaDigitalWorld:ReconcilingwithaConceptualTroublemaker".JournalofComputer-MediatedCommunication.18(3):362–377.doi:10.1111/jcc4.12013.ISSN1083-6101."MemesinaDigitalWorld:ReconcilingwithaConceptualtroublemaker"]Check|url=value(help).JournalofComputer-MediatedCommunication.18:362–377. ^Rossolillo,Nicholas(23September2021)."WhatAreMemeStocks?".TheMotleyFool.Retrieved2021-10-08. ^Robinhood’ssharesjumpasmuchas65percent,likethememestocksitenabled.(TheNewYorkTimes)https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/04/business/robinhood-stock-price.html ^The‘RoaringKitty’Rally:HowaRedditUserandHisFriendsRoiledtheMarkets(TheNewYorkTimes)https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/29/technology/roaring-kitty-reddit-gamestop-markets.html References Atran,Scott(2002),Ingodswetrust:theevolutionarylandscapeofreligion,Oxford[Oxfordshire]:OxfordUniversityPress,ISBN 978-0-19-514930-2 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Blackmore,SusanJ.(1999),Themememachine,Oxford[Oxfordshire]:OxfordUniversityPress,p. 288,ISBN 978-0-19-850365-1[tradepaperbackISBN 0-9658817-8-4(1999),ISBN 0-19-286212-X(2000)] Brodie,Richard(1996),Virusofthemind:thenewscienceofthememe,Seattle,WA:IntegralPress,p. 251,ISBN 978-0-9636001-1-0 Dawkins,Richard(1989),"11.Memes:thenewreplicators",TheSelfishGene(2nd ed.),Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress,p. 368,ISBN 978-0-19-217773-5 Dawkins,Richard(2004),ADevil'sChaplain:ReflectionsonHope,Lies,Science,andLove,Boston:MarinerBooks,p. 263,ISBN 978-0-618-48539-0 Dawkins,Richard(2015),"Memes",BriefCandleintheDark:MyLifeinScience(first ed.),London:BantamPress(TransworldPublishers),pp. 404–408,ISBN 978-0-59307-256-1 Dennett,DanielC.(2006),BreakingtheSpell(ReligionasaNaturalPhenomenon),Viking(Penguin),ISBN 978-0-670-03472-7 Dennett,Daniel(1991),ConsciousnessExplained,Boston:Little,BrownandCo.,ISBN 978-0-316-18065-8 Distin,Kate(2005),Theselfishmeme:acriticalreassessment,Cambridge:CambridgeUniversityPress,p. 238,ISBN 978-0-521-60627-1 Farnish,Keith(2009),Time'sUp!AnUncivilizedSolutionToAGlobalCrisis,Totnes:GreenBooks,p. 256,ISBN 978-1-900322-48-5 Graham,Gordon(2002),Genes:aphilosophicalinquiry,NewYork:Routledge,p. 196,ISBN 978-0-415-25257-7 Heylighen,Francis;Chielens,K.(2009),Meyers,B.(ed.),"EncyclopediaofComplexityandSystemsScience:EvolutionofCulture,Memetics"(PDF),EncyclopediaofComplexityandSystemsSciencebyRobertaMeyers,Bibcode:2009ecss.book.....M,doi:10.1007/978-0-387-30440-3,ISBN 978-0-387-75888-6 Ingold,T.(2000),"Thepovertyofselectionism",AnthropologyToday,16(3):1,doi:10.1111/1467-8322.00022 Heylighen,Francis(1992)."SelfishMemesandtheEvolutionofCooperation".JournalofIdeas.2(4):77–84. Jan,Steven(2007).TheMemeticsofMusic:ANeo-DarwinianViewofMusicalStructureandCulture.Aldershot:Ashgate. Kelly,Kevin(1994),Outofcontrol:thenewbiologyofmachines,socialsystemsandtheeconomicworld,Boston:Addison-Wesley,p. 360,ISBN 978-0-201-48340-6 Lynch,Aaron(1996),Thoughtcontagion:howbeliefspreadsthroughsociety,NewYork:BasicBooks,p. 208,ISBN 978-0-465-08467-8 McNamara,Adam(2011),"Canwemeasurememes?",FrontiersinEvolutionaryNeuroscience,3:1,doi:10.3389/fnevo.2011.00001,PMC 3118481,PMID 21720531 Millikan,RuthG.(2004),Varietiesofmeaning:the2002JeanNicodlectures,Cambridge,MA:MITPress,ISBN 978-0-262-13444-6 Post,StephenGarrard;Underwood,LynnG;Schloss,JeffreyPGarrard(2002),Altruism&AltruisticLove:Science,Philosophy,&ReligioninDialogue,OxfordUniversityPressUS,p. 500,ISBN 978-0-19-514358-4 Moritz,Elan.(1995):"Metasystems,MemesandCyberneticImmortality,"in:HeylighenF.,JoslynC.&TurchinV.(eds.),TheQuantumofEvolution.Towardatheoryofmetasystemtransitions,(GordonandBreachSciencePublishers,NewYork)(specialissueofWorldFutures:thejournalofgeneralevolution,vol.45,pp. 155–171). Poulshock,Joseph(2002),"TheProblemandPotentialofMemetics",JournalofPsychologyandTheology,RosemeadSchoolofPsychology,GaleGroup,pp. 68+ Russell,Bertrand(1921),TheAnalysisofMind,London:GeorgeAllen&Unwin. Salingaros,Nikos(2008)."Architecturalmemesinauniverseofinformation".TheoryofArchitecture.Umbau-Verlag.ISBN 978-3-937954-07-3. Sterelny,Kim;Griffiths,PaulE.(1999),Sexanddeath:anintroductiontophilosophyofbiology,Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress,p. 456,ISBN 978-0-226-77304-9 Veszelszki,Ágnes(2013),"PromiscuityofImages.MemesfromanEnglish-HungarianContrastivePerspective",in:Benedek,András−Nyíri,Kristóf(eds.):HowToDoThingsWithPictures:Skill,Practice,Performance(seriesVisualLearning,vol.3),Frankfurt:PeterLang,pp. 115–127,ISBN 978-3-631-62972-7 Wilson,EdwardO.(1998),Consilience:theunityofknowledge,NewYork:Knopf,p. 352,ISBN 978-0-679-45077-1 Externallinks Listentothisarticle(26minutes) Thisaudiofilewascreatedfromarevisionofthisarticledated29 August 2019 (2019-08-29),anddoesnotreflectsubsequentedits.(Audiohelp ·Morespokenarticles) LookupmemeinWiktionary,thefreedictionary. WikimediaCommonshasmediarelatedtoMemesandimagemacros. Dawkins'sspeechonthe30thanniversaryofthepublicationofTheSelfishGene,Dawkins2006 "EvolutionandMemes:Thehumanbrainasaselectiveimitationdevice":articlebySusanBlackmore. Godwin,Mike."Meme,Counter-meme".Wired.Retrieved2009-11-05. JournalofMemetics,apeer-refereedjournalofmemeticspublishedfrom1997until2005. SusanBlackmore:Memesand"temes",TEDTalksFebruary2008. ChristophervonBülow:ArticleMeme,translatedfrom:JürgenMittelstraß(ed.),EnzyklopädiePhilosophieundWissenschaftstheorie,2ndedn,vol.5,Stuttgart/Weimar:Metzler2013. RichardDawkinsexplainstherealmeaningoftheword'meme' RichardDawkins|Memes|OxfordUnion vteRichardDawkinsBibliographyPoliticalviewsBooks TheSelfishGene(1976) TheExtendedPhenotype(1982) TheBlindWatchmaker(1986) RiverOutofEden(1995) ClimbingMountImprobable(1996) UnweavingtheRainbow(1998) ADevil'sChaplain(2003) TheAncestor'sTale(2004) TheGodDelusion(2006) TheGreatestShowonEarth:TheEvidenceforEvolution(2009) TheMagicofReality:HowWeKnowWhat'sReallyTrue(2011) AnAppetiteforWonder:TheMakingofaScientist(2013) BriefCandleintheDark:MyLifeinScience(2015) ScienceintheSoul:SelectedWritingsofaPassionateRationalist(2017) OutgrowingGod:ABeginner'sGuide(2019) BooksDoFurnishaLife:ReadingandWritingScience(2021) Relatedworks GrowingUpintheUniverse(1991) Dawkinsvs.Gould(2001) BeyondBelief(2006) RichardDawkins:HowaScientistChangedtheWayWeThink(2006) TheOxfordBookofModernScienceWriting(2008) Documentaries NiceGuysFinishFirst(1987) TheBlindWatchmaker(1987) BreaktheScienceBarrier(1996) TheAtheismTapes(2004) TheRootofAllEvil?(2006) TheEnemiesofReason(2007) TheGeniusofCharlesDarwin(2008) FaithSchoolMenace?(2010) Sex,DeathandtheMeaningofLife(2012) TheUnbelievers(2013) Seealso Meme AtheistBusCampaign OutCampaign Gerinoil FoundationforReasonandScience ProfessorshipforthePublicUnderstandingofScience UltimateBoeing747gambit LallaWard Frameshift Weaselprogram MarianDawkins MiddleWorld GoGodGo GoGodGoXII God'sutilityfunction Courtier'sReply Spectrumoftheisticprobability UniversalDarwinism EndlessFormsMostBeautiful WhentheProfessorGotStuckintheSnow RichardDawkinsAward Category vteWorldviewRelatedterms Basicbeliefs/Beliefs Collectiveconsciousness/Collectiveunconscious Conceptualsystem Context Conventionalwisdom Conventions Culturalmovement Epicpoetry/Nationalepics/Worldfolk-epics Factsandfactoids Framing Ideology Lifestance Lifestyle Memes/Memeplex Mentalmodel Metanarrative Mindset Norms Paradigm Philosophicaltheory Pointofview Presuppositions Realitytunnel Schemata Schoolofthought Set Socialreality Theoryofeverything Umwelt Valuesystem AspectsBiases Academic Attentional Attitudepolarization Belief Cognitive list Collectivenarcissism Confirmation Congruence Cryptomnesia Cultural Ethnocentrism Filterbubble Homophily In-groupfavoritism Magicalthinking Media Observationalerror Observer-expectancy Selectiveexposure Selectiveperception Self-deception Self-fulfillingprophecy CleverHanseffect placeboeffect wishfulthinking Statusquo Stereotyping ethnic Changeandmaintenance Activism Argument Argumentumadpopulum Attitudechange Brainwashing Censorship Charisma Circularreporting Cognitivedissonance Criticalthinking Crowdmanipulation Culturaldissonance Deprogramming Echochamber Education religious values Euphemism Excommunication Fearmongering Historicalrevisionism negationism Ideologicalrepression Indoctrination Mediamanipulation Mediaregulation Missionaries Moralentrepreneurship Persuasion Politefiction Politicalengineering Propaganda Propagandamodel Proselytism Psychologicalmanipulation Psychologicalwarfare Religiousconversion forced Religiouspersecution Religiousuniformity Revolutions Rhetoric Self-censorship Socialchange Socialcontrol Socialengineering Socialinfluence Socialprogress Suppressionofdissent Systemicbias Woozleeffect Culture Anthropology cultural social Calendars Ceremonies Coronations Cross-culturalpsychology Culturalpsychology Doctrine Employment/Serfdom/Slavery Families Funerals/Burial Games Holidays Hygiene ritual Identity(philosophy) cultural Institutions Liminality Liturgy Marriage Mythandritual Oaths Pilgrimages Play Ritesofpassage secular Rituals Socialclass/Socialstatus/Caste Symbols Symbolicboundaries Worship Groupthink Abileneparadox Bandwagoneffect Collectives Collectivebehavior animal Collectiveeffervescence Collectiveintelligence Conformity Consensustheory Crowdpsychology Cults Culture-boundsyndromes Deindividuation Doublethink Emergence Emotionalcontagion Entitativity Falseconsensuseffect Folieàdeux Groupaction Groupcohesiveness 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