The Selfish Meme: A Critical Reassessment

by Kate Distin

Culture is a unique and fascinating aspect of the human species. How did it emerge and how does it develop? Richard Dawkins has suggested that culture evolves and that memes are the cultural replicators, subject to variation and selection in the same way as genes function in the biological world. In this sense human culture is the product of a mindless evolutionary algorithm. Does this imply that we are mere meme machines and that the conscious self is an illusion? Kate Distin extends and strengthens Dawkins's theory and presents a fully developed and workable concept of cultural DNA. She argues that culture's development can be seen both as the result of memetic evolution and as the product of human creativity. Memetic evolution is therefore compatible with the view of humans as conscious and intelligent.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Sociology, Anthropology, Evolution

240 pages, Paperback

First published December 20, 2004

Reviews

[Brit Cheung · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meme，the cultural equivalent of biological DNA，seems to be capable of shedding light on how cultural transmission works. A very interesting read covers novel assumptions. If you believe the parallel cosmos of genes does exist，then meme is very much likely to be that. likewise，if you accept the selfish gene theory of Richard Dawkins，this selfish meme also very possibly makes sense-A very enjoyable read anyway.

[Alexander Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book simplifies a lot of discussion around memetics which happened between 1976 and the early 2000s. It's clear, well organized writing which touches on and unpacks a lot of issues in cultural evolution.

This book does good interpretive work of previous theories and their limitations. In particular, it especially does a good job of showing how unlikely Dennett's Memetic theory is to work and some inconsistencies in popular rejections of memetics. It also forwards a few interesting ideas. While I don't find all of those ideas especially up to date or necessary to memetic discussion at present, they are worthy of consideration.

[S.P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Memes are fascinating. I am not sure we are yet at the point of having a coherent theory about the idea, and I find the philosophical speculation in this book in particular to be quite hard work. Distin proposes an alternative to Dennett & Blackmores idea that 'we' (as in our conciousness) is a collection of meme complexes in favour of memes being separate to our innate ability to process memes and capacity of thought independent of the meme-complex - with the meme and the brain being different components in the replication of memes (like genes use the cell machinery to duplicate themselves). I think that is what she is saying anyway, just in a very long winded way. I suspect there is a certain bias on the part of Distin here to prove (if only to herself) that the 'innate' in a human is something special to humans alone - a 'soul' if you like, rather than the very atheistic Blackmore & Dennett view that meme reproduction is purely mechanical and the self illusionary.

There is an interesting discussion about the different types of representational systems, with language being the one that we are hard-wired to assimilate from birth and others (mathematics, music, etc) being dependant on the prior knowledge of the language which explains the alternative representative system. I am not sure I agree - I think maybe that we are hard-wired perhaps to assimilate some form of representational system, it just so happens that the most successful one at the moment is language (and thus is to one we use to describe other representational systems). I guess the point is you require some sort of representational system to describe other systems, concepts, ideas, and memes, and the human brain and its ability to process, question and 'decide' is why we are so good at replicating memes.

The idea that memes are hierarchically constructed, the same way you would build electronic (or any artificial) systems from smaller blocks and that this means the blocks most be mutually compatible also interesting, and probably explains why we design things in that way (e.g. because that is how we build up representations).

Suffice to say it memes are cutting edge on the understanding of who 'we' are and I think maybe this is on the cusp of a bigger more generalised 'natural' system that could describe all sorts of evolutionary processes, in a similar way that Complex Systems theory explains everything from road congestion and internet traffic to self organisation. I disagree with Distin about the whole 'humans are special' slant, but found her exploration of the mechanics of it to added to my understanding.

It'll be interesting to keep tabs of the field over the next few years.

[Robin Hartanto · Rating 4 out of 5]

The idea of the book is interesting, about the evolution of culture. The writer brought a lot of biological terms: gene, DNA, replication, natural selection, allele, etc and made an analogical comparison with the production of culture.

A philosophical and psychological subject. Easy to read.