Who's Who in the Singularity

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Who's Who in the Singularity COMPUTER SCIENTIST and now you can either anticipate in the resolution of all human cannot see into the future to predict prediction that individual human and gaseous states of matter: the world (initially under the direction of science-fi ction writer Vernor or sco at many di erent kinds problems, including illness and anything. “Machine intelligence” brains (and most probably their state becomes funda mentally di erent but humans) design the next generation of Vinge sketched out a seminal of singularities. Perhaps the limited life span. The “event represents the prediction that of consciousness) will be replicable in in ways that may not be immediately machines, eventually supe rintelligent Who’s Who In modern singularity hypothesis most inclusive variant is the one horizon” idea corresponds most computers will achieve human- level computerized form, leading to (among perceptible to individuals immersed levels will be reached. The e ect is 15 years ago in his essay “The we label “technotopia,” the closely to Vinge’s original: a con- intelligence and either consciousness other things) virtual immortality. Kevin in it at the time. The “intelligence similar to the accelerating rate of Coming Technological Singularity.” scenario in which computers fl uence of technological changes, or something indistinguishable from it. Kelly’s “phase change” hypothesis explosion” hypothesis, initially technological change anticipated by The Singularity Since then lots of other people reach and exceed human levels of most likely including machine “Uploading,” which is also part of likens the singularity to the changes developed by Turing associate I.J. techno topians, but the path for getting have taken up the cause, so intelligence, essentially resulting intelligence, beyond which we the techno topian vision, refers to the between the solid and liquid or liquid Goode, postulates that as machines there is di erent. —Paul Wallich WHO WHY WE SHOULD KIND OF BASIC ARGUMENT WHAT THEY SAY YOU MIGHT ALSO WHO WHY WE SHOULD KIND OF BASIC ARGUMENT WHAT THEY SAY YOU MIGHT ALSO LISTEN SINGULARITY WANT TO KNOW LISTEN SINGULARITY WANT TO KNOW Created several Technotopia The basic paradigm of Moore’s Law— “ I regard the freeing of the human mind Plans to release a movie Built the first neural Machine Our increasing knowledge of the brain “ I asked the audience how many people Thinks that belief in enormously successful —accelerating exponentially increasing improvement— from its severe physical limitations of later this year based on Marvin network simulator intelligence/ and increasing computing power will wanted to live for 200 years, and no one a singularity could Raymond inventions, including change will not only hold true indefi nitely for logic scope and duration as the necessary his book The Singularity Minsky in 1951. Received the uploading eventually intersect. raised their hand.” inspire people in the Kurzweil ones for pattern, circuits but will also apply to countless next step in evolution.” Is Near. To maximize his Professor of Turing Award in 1969. Currently, however, way that World War II character, and speech other technologies. It will lead to a chances of living until media arts and Developed a theory of the resources being —“It’s 2001: Where Is HAL?” inspired his generation. Entrepreneur, recognition; electronic singularity that will enable us to upload —“The Law of Accelerating his consciousness sciences and of mind involving small devoted to such Information Week podcast, 1 March 2007 inventor, author musical instruments; and our consciousness into machines and, in Returns” (http://www. can be downloaded, electrical subunits of expertise. work are negligible (http://www.informationweek.com; of popular books medical education. e ect, live indefi nitely. This singularity will kurzweilai.net/articles/ he reportedly takes engineering and compared with search on “minsky podcast”) on the singularity occur in about 15 years. art0134.html?printable=1) upward of 200 computer science, MIT the amount of vitamin pills a day. work to be done. Wrote Mind Children and Machine The processes of the brain that give “ The 1500-cubic-centimeter Now works full-time at Has written many Machine Human-level AI may be inevitable, “ The best reason for believing that robots Leading other books on artifi cial intelligence rise to consciousness arise inevitably human brain is about 100 000 times a small machine-vision Daniel books about the nature intelligence but don’t expect it anytime soon. “I might someday become conscious is member Hans intelligence and robotics. and uniquely from chains of physical as large as the retina, suggesting that start-up. Dennett of consciousness and don’t deny the possibility a priori; I just that we human beings are conscious, of the Moravec events and in accordance with matching overall human behavior Codirector of intelligence, including think it is vanishingly unlikely in the and we are a sort of robot ourselves.” Brights, Adjunct physical principles. They are therefore will take about 100 million MIPS of the Center Brainstorms: Philosophical foreseeable future.” (From Dennett’s book Cognition, a group professor, reproducible with a sufficiently computer power.” for Cognitive Essays on Mind and Computation, and Consciousness, 1994) dedicated to promoting Studies and Psychology (1978), The “the civic understanding Carnegie- powerful computer. —“When Will Computer Hardware professor of Intentional Stance (1989), and acknowledgment Mellon Robotics Match the Human Brain?” Journal of philosophy, Consciousness Explained of the naturalistic Institute Evolution and Technology, 1998 (http:// Tufts University (1991), and Brainchildren— worldview, which is free www.jetpress.org/volume1/moravec.htm) Essays on Designing Minds of supernatural and Cofounded World Technotopia Assuming that we don’t render ourselves “ I would…assign less than a 50% Had a short career as (1998). mystical elements.” Transhumanist extinct, technological progress should probability to superintelligence being a stand-up comic. Has built many robots Technotopia Any extrapolation of technological trends, “ I am a machine. Was featured in the Nick Association; writes lead to superintelligence and indefi nitely developed by 2033.” that emulate the behavior particularly exponential ones, decades So are you.” 1997 movie Fast, Cheap, Bostrom extensively on machine extended life spans; once the singularity Rodney of simple animals. One into the future isn’t likely to be accurate. (p. 71 in this issue) and Out of Control. intelligence, life extension, comes near, we will all be kicking ourselves —“How Long Before Superintelligence?” crucial aspect of his Director, Future of Brooks and philosophical for not having brought it about sooner. (http://www.nickbostrom.com/ work is demonstrating Humanity Institute, issues surrounding the superintelligence.html) Professor of how little cognition, Oxford University singularity. robotics, MIT understanding, or memory is required for apparently Wrote the critically Event horizon— In a seminal 1993 essay, he wrote of “ In my 1993 essay, ‘The Coming A chapter of his recent complex behaviors. Vernor acclaimed novels A Fire fundamentally the period following the development Technological Singularity,’ I said I’d novel, Rainbows End, Coined the term virtual Machine There’s no real evidence that computer “ If computers are to become smart Wrote an entertaining Vinge Upon the Deep (Hugo unpredictable of machine intelligence: “From the be surprised if the singularity had not grew out of a story reality; was CEO of VPL intelligence representation of a brain will actually enough to design their own successors, 1995 essay in the Journal Award, 1993) and A human point of view this change will happened by 2030. I’ll stand by that he published in the Jaron Lanier Research, a pioneering produce a mind. Furthermore, true AI initiating a process that will lead to God- of Consciousness Studies Science-fi ction Deepness in the Sky be a throwing away of all the previous claim.” (p. 77 in this issue) July 2004 issue of Interdisciplinary virtual-reality start-up. can’t arise from current patterns of like omniscience after a number of ever titled “You Can’t Argue author; professor (1993); tackled issues rules, perhaps in the blink of an eye, an IEEE Spectrum. scholar-in- software development because those swifter passages from one generation With a Zombie.” It of computer that included human exponential runaway beyond any hope of residence at patterns are fatally flawed. Meanwhile, of computers to the next, someone is zinged Daniel Dennett, science at San confrontation with control. Developments that before were the Center for accelerating technological change going to have to write the software that Daniel Dennett’s critics, Diego State superintelligent thought might only happen in ‘a million Entrepreneurship could still make the world as we know it gets the process going, and humans have Dartmouth students, University for beings. years’ (if ever) will likely happen in the & Technology, nearly unrecognizable. given absolutely no evidence of being and philosopher David 28 years (retired) next century.” University of able to write such software.” Chalmers, among others. California, Sample line: “Arrogance Has developed a theory Intelligence Each generation of intelligent human- “ Deep Blue’s engineers Working on the Berkeley —“One-Half of a Manifesto,” Wired, is always a bad strategy for building “friendly” explosion machine collaborations uses its might say,
Recommended publications
  • Julian Jaynes's Software Archeology
    Julian Jaynes’s Software Archeology DANIEL DENNETT Daniel Dennett received his B .A. from Harvard and his D. Phil. from Oxford. Following academic positions at the University of California at Irvine, at Harvard, and at Oxford, he joined the Department of Philosophy at Tufts University, where he is currently Professor of Philosophy. Dr. Dennett has also held the position of Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. He lectures widely in North America, Great Britain and Europe. His publications include books such as Brainstorms, The Mind’s I (with Douglas Hofstadter), and most recently Elbow Room, and journal articles on the issues of mind, consciousness, self hallucinations, and even grey matter. He has also written numerous reviews of theories of prominent philosophers. linguists, and psychologists, such as Passing the Buck to Biology on Noam Chomsky and Why do we think what we do about why we think what we do? on Nelson Goodman. What a philosopher would usually do on an occasion like this is to begin to launch into a series of devastating arguments, criticisms, and counter-examples, and I am not going to do that today, because in this instance I don’t think it would be very constructive. I think first it is very important to understand Julian Jaynes’ project to see a little bit more about what the whole shape of it is, and delay the barrage of nitpicking objections and criticisms until we have seen what the edifice as a whole is. After all, on the face of it, it is preposterous, and I have found that in talking with other philosophers my main task is to convince them to take it seriously when they are very reluctant to do this.
    [Show full text]
  • Intentional Systems in Cognitive Ethology: the "Panglossian Paradigm" Defended
    THE BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN SCIENCES (1983) 6, 343-390 Printed in the United States of America Intentional systems in cognitive ethology: The "Panglossian paradigm" defended Daniel C. Dennett Department of Philosophy, Tufts University, Medford, Mass. 02155 Abstract: Ethologists and others studying animal behavior in a "cognitive" spirit are in need of a descriptive language and method that are neither anachronistically bound by behaviorist scruples nor prematurely committed to particular "information-processing models. "Just such an interim descriptive method can be found in intentional system theory. The use of intentional system theory is illustrated with the case of the apparently communicative behavior of vervet monkeys. A way of using the theory to generate data - including usable, testable "anecdotal" data - is sketched. The underlying assumptions of this approach can be seen to ally it directly with "adaptationist' theorizing in evolutionary biology, which has recently come under attack from Stephen Gould and Richard Lewontin, who castigate it as the "Panglossian paradigm." Their arguments, which are strongly analogous to B. F. Skinner's arguments against "mentalism," point to certain pitfalls that attend the careless exercise of such "Panglossian" thinking (and rival varieties of thinking as well), but do not constitute a fundamental objection to either adaptationist theorizing or its cousin, intentional system theory. Keywords: adaptation; animal cognition; behaviorism; cognitive ethology; communication; comparative psychology; consciousness;
    [Show full text]
  • Intentionality, Consciousness, and Daniel Dennett in Contemporary Philosophy of Mind" (1997)
    Illinois Wesleyan University Digital Commons @ IWU Honors Projects Philosophy 1997 Minding the Mental: Intentionality, Consciousness, and Daniel Dennett in onC temporary Philosophy of Mind Matthew .T Dusek '97 Illinois Wesleyan University Recommended Citation Dusek '97, Matthew T., "Minding the Mental: Intentionality, Consciousness, and Daniel Dennett in Contemporary Philosophy of Mind" (1997). Honors Projects. Paper 8. http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/phil_honproj/8 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by The Ames Library, the Andrew W. Mellon Center for Curricular and Faculty Development, the Office of the Provost and the Office of the President. It has been accepted for inclusion in Digital Commons @ IWU by the faculty at Illinois Wesleyan University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ©Copyright is owned by the author of this document. Minding the Mental Intentionality, Consciousness, and Daniel Dennett in Contemporary Philosophy ofMind Illinois Wesleyan University Department of Philosophy Research Honors Thesis Spring, 1997 MATTHEW T. DUSEK Minding the Mental Intentionality, Consciousness, and Daniel Dennett in Contemporary Philosophy ofMind Matthew T. Dusek "In coming to understand anything we are rejecting the facts as they are for us in favour ofthe facts as they are." "We should never ask ofanything 'Is it real?,' for everything is real. The proper question is 'A real what?,' e.g., a real snake or real delirium tremens?" - C.S. Lewis AN ILLINOIS WESLEYAN BOOK Published by The Philosophical
    [Show full text]
  • Time and the Observer
    BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN SCIENCES (1992) 15, 183-247 Printed in the United States of America and when of consciousness in the brain Daniel C. Dennett3 and Marcel Kinsbourneb aCenter for Cognitive Studies, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155; bBehavioral Neurology Unit, Sargent College, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215 Electronic mail: [email protected] Abstracts We compare the way two models of consciousness treat subjective timing. According to the standard "Cartesian Theater" model, there is a place in the brain where "it all comes together," and the discriminations in all modalities are somehow put into registration and "presented" for subjective judgment. The timing of the events in this theater determines subjective order. According to the alternative "Multiple Drafts" model, discriminations are distributed in both space and time in the brain. These events do have temporal properties, but those properties do not determine subjective order because there is no single, definitive "stream of consciousness," only a parallel stream of conflicting and continuously revised contents. Four puzzling phenomena that resist explanation by the Cartesian model are analyzed: (1) a gradual apparent motion phenomenon involving abrupt color change (Kolers & von Griinau 1976), (2) an illusion of an evenly spaced series of "hops" produced by two or more widely spaced series of taps delivered to the skin (Geldard & Sherrick's "cutaneous rabbit" [1972]), (3) backwards referral in time, and (4) subjective delay of consciousness of intention (both reported in this journal by LIbet 1985a; 1987; 1989a). The unexamined assumptions that have always made the Cartesian Theater so attractive are exposed and dismantled. The Multiple Drafts model provides a better account of the puzzling phenomena, avoiding the scientific and metaphysical extravagances of the Cartesian Theater: The temporal order of subjective events is a product of the brain's interpretational processes, not a direct reflection of events making up those processes.
    [Show full text]
  • Time and the Observer 12/2/13 8:51 AM
    Time and the Observer 12/2/13 8:51 AM Dennett, Daniel C. & Kinsbourne, Marcel (1992) Time and the Observer. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 15 (2) 183-247. Time and the Observer: the Where and When of Consciousness in the Brain 1 Reprinted in The Philosopher's Annual, Grim, Mar and Williams, eds., vol. XV-1992, 1994, pp. 23-68; Noel Sheehy and Tony Chapman, eds., Cognitive Science, Vol. I, Elgar, 1995, pp.210-274. Daniel Dennett and Marcel Kinsbourne ABSTRACT Two models of consciousness are contrasted with regard to their treatment of subjective timing. The standard Cartesian Theater model postulates a place in the brain where "it all comes together": where the discriminations in all modalities are somehow put into registration and "presented" for subjective judgment. In particular, the Cartesian Theater model implies that the temporal properties of the content-bearing events occurring within this privileged representational medium determine subjective order. The alternative, Multiple Drafts model holds that whereas the brain events that discriminate various perceptual contents are distributed in both space and time in the brain, and whereas the temporal properties of these various events are determinate, none of these temporal properties determine subjective order, since there is no single, constitutive "stream of consciousness" but rather a parallel stream of conflicting and continuously revised contents. Four puzzling phenomena that resist explanation by the standard model are analyzed: two results claimed by Libet, an apparent motion phenomenon involving color change (Kolers and von Grunau), and the "cutaneous rabbit" (Geldard and Sherrick) an illusion of evenly spaced series of "hops" produced by two or more widely spaced series of taps delivered to the skin.
    [Show full text]
  • Przemysław Żywiczyński Center for Language Evolution Studies, Nicolaus Copernicus University [email protected]
    THEORIA ET HISTORIA SCIENTIARUM, VOL. XVI Ed. Nicolaus Copernicus University 2019 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12775/ths.2019.010 Przemysław Żywiczyński Center for Language Evolution Studies, Nicolaus Copernicus University [email protected] Biological Evolution, Cultural Evolution and the Evolution of Language. Review of Daniel Dennett’s From Bacteria to Bach and Back Abstract. Daniel Dennett is one of the giants of contemporary philosophy. His new book, From Bacteria to Bach and Back, does reiterates the old motifs, such as “strange inversion of reasoning” or “production without comprehension”. But it is first and foremost a new project, whose goal is to calibrate the theory of universal Darwinism to the very recent developments in science, technology and our lifestyles, the most important of which is the coming of Artificial Intelligence. What Dennett does in the new book offers us “thinking tools” (his own phrase) to understand this changing reality by means of basic Darwinian principles. Keywords: universal Darwinism; AI; cognitive science; Darwinian Spaces; biological evolution; cultural evolution; evolution of language; memetics. Introduction Daniel Dennett is the type of writer who does not produce works of minor importance. All his books, starting with the collection of essays Brainstorms (1978), grapple with the grandest philosophical problems – mind and free will, morality or the nature and scope of evolutionary processes. However, some of his titles stand out, not only due to the breath-taking range of subjects they cover and the subtlety of exposition these subjects are given, but also due to the impact they have exerted on contemporary 170 Przemysław Żywiczyński philosophical debate.
    [Show full text]
  • Volume 1, Issue 1, 2007 Heterophenomenology Debunked
    Volume 1, Issue 1, 2007 Heterophenomenology Debunked Tan Kock Wah, Lecturer, University Malaysia Sarawak, [email protected] Abstract What is analyzed in this paper is of fundamental importance to the viability of Dennett’s works on mind and consciousness. Dennett uses the heterophenomenology method as the basis to ground his thoughts on subjectivity and phenomenal experiences. It is argued here that Dennett’s formulation of heterophenomenology fails to provide the founding framework with which to ground studies on consciousness and qualia. Analysis in the paper has important import on the rest of his theory of consciousness and mind, for without credible philosophical underpinnings, his reasoning on consciousness and mind at large is not likely to amount to much. Introduction The theory of heterophenomenology is Dennett’s brainchild1 on consciousness and one of his most important. Heterophenomenology is the basis on which much of Dennett’s undertaking on consciousness is constructed, informed and built upon. This methodological standpoint bears a distinctly Dennettian stamp on the right approach to the study of mind and consciousness. The issues addressed here are of paramount importance to Dennett’s intellectual onslaught on the questions of subjectivity and consciousness. This paper seeks to investigate this critical aspect of Dennett’s theory to see how well it stands up to scrutiny. Prior to the analysis, however, Dennett’s philosophy of heterophenomenology is briefly outlined to facilitate arguments in the ensuing sections. Heterophenomenology Understanding Dennett’s tour de force on consciousness, Consciousness Explained (Dennett, 1991b), requires mastery of Dennett’s theory of heterophenomenology. It is in fact the crux of Consciousness Explained, for major arguments in the book stand or fall with the cogency of this construct.
    [Show full text]
  • Intentionality, Consciousness, and Daniel Dennett in Contemporary Philosophy of Mind
    Illinois Wesleyan University Digital Commons @ IWU Honors Projects Philosophy 1997 Minding the Mental: Intentionality, Consciousness, and Daniel Dennett in Contemporary Philosophy of Mind Matthew T. Dusek '97 Illinois Wesleyan University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/phil_honproj Part of the Philosophy Commons Recommended Citation Dusek '97, Matthew T., "Minding the Mental: Intentionality, Consciousness, and Daniel Dennett in Contemporary Philosophy of Mind" (1997). Honors Projects. 8. https://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/phil_honproj/8 This Article is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Commons @ IWU with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this material in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This material has been accepted for inclusion by faculty at Illinois Wesleyan University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ©Copyright is owned by the author of this document. Minding the Mental Intentionality, Consciousness, and Daniel Dennett in Contemporary Philosophy ofMind Illinois Wesleyan University Department of Philosophy Research Honors Thesis Spring, 1997 MATTHEW T. DUSEK Minding the Mental Intentionality, Consciousness, and Daniel Dennett in Contemporary Philosophy ofMind Matthew T. Dusek "In coming to understand anything we are rejecting the facts as they are for us in favour ofthe facts as they are." "We should never ask ofanything 'Is it real?,' for everything is real.
    [Show full text]
  • Instrumental Intentionality Lynne Rudder Baker Philosophy of Science, Vol
    Instrumental Intentionality Lynne Rudder Baker Philosophy of Science, Vol. 56, No. 2. (Jun., 1989), pp. 303-316. Stable URL: http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0031-8248%28198906%2956%3A2%3C303%3AII%3E2.0.CO%3B2-H Philosophy of Science is currently published by The University of Chicago Press. Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/about/terms.html. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at http://www.jstor.org/journals/ucpress.html. Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission. The JSTOR Archive is a trusted digital repository providing for long-term preservation and access to leading academic journals and scholarly literature from around the world. The Archive is supported by libraries, scholarly societies, publishers, and foundations. It is an initiative of JSTOR, a not-for-profit organization with a mission to help the scholarly community take advantage of advances in technology. For more information regarding JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. http://www.jstor.org Mon Jul 30 18:16:07 2007 INSTRUMENTAL INTENTIONALITYY: LYNNE RUDDER BAKER? Departn~entof Ph~losophl M~cidlc>buv).College Many physicalists are cotnmitted to an austere dichotonly: either beliefs, de- sires and intentions are scientifically respectable or attributions of such attitudes are all false.
    [Show full text]
  • A Comparative Analysis of Searle's and Dennett's Theory
    TALISIK: An Undergraduate Journal of Philosophy Formulating Consciousness: A Comparative Analysis of Searle’s and Dennett’s Theory of Consciousness John Moses A. Chua University of the Philippines - Los Baños [email protected] Abstract: This research will argue about which theory of mind between Searle’s and Dennett’s can better explain human consciousness. Initially, distinctions between dualism and materialism will be discussed ranging from substance dualism, property dualism, physicalism, and functionalism. In this part, the main issue that is tackled in various theories of mind is revealed. It is the missing connection between input stimulus (neuronal reactions) and behavioral disposition: consciousness. Then, the discussion will be more specific on Searle’s biological naturalism and Dennett’s multiple drafts model as the two attempted to answer the issue. The differences between them will be highlighted and will be analyzed according to their relation to their roots: dualism and materialism. The two theories will be examined on how each answer the questions on consciousness. It will be revealed in this research that consciousness can have different brands. Dennett’s as one brand, operational consciousness, and Searle’s as another, sui generis consciousness. It shall be concluded that Searle’s theory of mind outweighs Dennett’s if we take the two theories to answer what human consciousness is. This is due to two reasons: (1) Sufficiency of Explanation, where Searle has more comprehensively explained what consciousness is and (2) Pragmatic Picture of Reality, where Searle’s theory can fit more in the social reality. Keywords: Searle, Dennett, Theory of Mind, Consciousness onsciousness is a complex theme not a process? As we use consciousness in an only in philosophy, but also in the hard ordinary language, it means the state of being C sciences.
    [Show full text]
  • Darwinism Memes and Creativity Opus
    DARWINISM, MEMES, AND CREATIVITY A Critique of Darwinian Analogical Reasoning From Nature To Culture Inaugural-Dissertation zur Erlangung der Doktorwürde im Fach Philosophie der Philosophischen Fakultät I (Philosophie und Kunstwissenschaften) der Universität Regensburg vorgelegt von Maria E. Kronfeldner Regensburg Dezember 2005 Gutachter Erstgutachter: Prof. Dr. Hans Rott (Universität Regensburg) Zweitgutachter: Prof. Dr. Holmer Steinfath (Universität Regensburg) Drittgutachter: Prof. Dr. Peter McLaughlin (Universität Heidelberg) für meine Mutter, in ewiger Liebe, und für alle, die nicht einmal wissen, dass sie ein Recht auf ihre Träume haben CONTENTS IN BRIEF Preface ...............................................................................................i 1 From the Darwin industry to the Darwinian analogies ..................1 2 The structure of Darwinian explanations of change ....................24 3 Ontological analogy: Genes and memes .....................................96 4 Origination analogy: Darwinian novelty in culture ................... 167 5 Explanatory units of selection analogy: Selection of memes ..... 236 Epilogue ........................................................................................ 291 Reference list ................................................................................. 296 CONTENTS Preface ...........................................................................................................i 1 From the Darwin industry to the Darwinian analogies .......................1 1.1
    [Show full text]
  • The Misunderstanding of Memes: Biography of an Unscientific Object
    The misunderstanding of memes: Biography of an unscientiªc object, 1976–1999 Jeremy Trevelyan Burman York University When the “meme” was introduced in 1976, it was as a metaphor intended to illuminate an evolutionary argument. By the late-1980s, however, we see from its use in major US newspapers that this original meaning had become obscured. The meme became a virus of the mind. (In the UK, this occurred slightly later.) It is also now clear that this becoming involved complex sustained interactions between scholars, journalists, and the letter-writing public. We must therefore read the “meme” through lenses provided by its pop- ularization. The results are in turn suggestive of the processes of meaning- construction in scholarly communication more generally. “Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clariªes, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.” —Gordon Gekko, as portrayed by Michael Douglas in the 1987 ªlm Wall Street “From the outset [in 1976] the reviews were gratifyingly favorable and it [The Selªsh Gene] was not seen, initially, as a controversial book. Its repu- tation for contentiousness took years to grow until, by now, it is widely An earlier version of this paper was pre-circulated and presented at the History & Theory of Psychology Evening Colloquium Series in the Fall of 2010. The author wishes to thank Jacy Young (the series coordinator) for the invitation to speak, as well as all those who attended and provided feedback—especially Laura Ball, Ron Sheese, Kelli Vaughn, and Fred Weizmann. It was originally written following the publication of Alexandra Rutherford’s (2009) Beyond the Box, which—among other things—used popu- lar press coverage to examine how the ideas of B.
    [Show full text]