...flights of imagination much more seriously and challenged the firmness of that line. It is just like how imagination plays a very real role in our decision making. Take for example, our last two US presidential elections, in which one big chunk of the electorate managed to view Barack Obama as a radical socialist, while another saw him as a moderate saint. Both views were heavily based on myth, but they had a real-life effect on how people voted. By understanding Wendell Berry’s text, “God, Science, and Imagination,” and juxtaposing it to Susan Blackmore’s analysis of the “replicator power” of “memes,” it is evident that imagination and meme fear have gained over us. Seeing the two author’s ideas merge can enlighten readers to realize that the “ideals” that Berry presents in his argument of “fundamentalism” versus “knowledge” are only memes of what we want to think instead of the memes that we actually follow through with. This ideal of life has changed from what they used to be, to things that have gone from early-morning home-cooked meals to breakfast substitutions. In the article, “God, Science, and Imagination,” Berry speaks about the idea of fundamentalism and how one thinks. Fundamentalism is the idea of strict support towards a particular belief or idea- which can...
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...Dawkins is widely known for his beliefs that religion is a dangerous virus of the mind. Readers, who are unfamiliar with the essay „Virus of the Mind‟, like myself, feel that the notion being put forward appears sarcastic and somewhat harsh. Initially when I read the essay I had already decided in my mind that I would not agree to Dawkins‟ beliefs as the idea that religion is a virus sounds bizarre. People have the tendency to think negatively when the word virus is brought up. Whilst I agree with Dawkins‟ statement that religion is a „Virus of the Mind‟ and it spreads the same way that viruses do, I believe he is also trying to spread atheism in the same way. Thus, Dawkins is being a hypocrite to his cause. Richard Dawkins starts of with the idea that „a human child is shaped by evolution to soak up the culture of her people‟ (Warburton, 2010, pp. 92). According to Dawkins, young children are highly gullible and will believe almost everything that is being told to them. He gives examples of how children worldwide are taught to believe in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy, which are non-existent. As and when the child grows up they realise these characters are actually not true. Children are more likely to survive if they learn and believe what is taught to them by their parents, but a potential problem that arises is that children are very willing to believe something that is not true. Therefore, just as a patient is susceptible to a virus infection, a child can ...
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...Plato Review Plato’s distinction between body and soul in the foundation unit so that you can make comparisons with the thinking of Hick and of Dawkins. John Hick Philosophy of Religion (1973); Death and Eternal Life (1976) • The soul is a name for the moral, spiritual self formed by the interaction of genes and environment. The human is a psychophysical person with a divine purpose. • The person shall be resurrected through a divine act of recreation or reconstitution in resurrection, rather than reincarnation as Plato would have it, through God’s creative love. • The new body is not the old one brought back to life but a spiritual body inhabiting a spiritual world just as the physical body inhabited a physical world. • Hick conducts a thought experiment with a hypothetical person called John Smith. Smith disappears from the USA and reappears in Calcutta, India. He is physically identical with the same memories, emotions, fingerprints, and so on. People would agree he was Smith. If he died and reappeared in this world, again identical, people would agree he was Smith. If he died and reappeared in another world with other resurrected people, he would be Smith. This is called the replica theory. • God is not restricted by death and holds man beyond natural mortality. • Martin Luther wrote: Anyone with whom God speaks, whether in wrath or mercy, the same is certainly immortal.’ Richard Dawkins The Selfish Gene (1976); River out of Eden (1986);The Blind Watchmaker...
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...Richard Dawkins- need to know terminology. The Gene- a basic unit of natural selection. We are a mass of these genes and unconsciously they decide which are strong and which are weak. They affect our behaviour through our consciousness and our brains. Selfishness- the principle of acting in one’s own interest. Dawkins uses this term when writing about the selfish gene as he is suggesting just like most creatures who will to survive, each gene is trying to prolong its own survival and existence. It can do this through different ways. The Extended Phenotype- an idea to mean the effects that a gene has on the outside world that may influence its chances of being replicate. Great example- For instance a Beaver dam might be considered a phenotype of beaver genes, the same way beaver’s incisors might be considered to be a phenotype of beaver genes. This would mean that both the dam and the teeth are phenotypes expressions of their genes. Mutations- these are simply changes. In a sense Dawkins is suggesting that genes can mutate and there evolve within a body. This can then affect behaviour in a person. These changes can occur in a life and genes can replicate themselves. Replicators- genes that are trying on an unconscious level to make more of themselves to enable their survival. This can be done by procreation but also within a person. Consciousness- Our sense of self and the idea that we are one not simply millions of genes fighting for survival. Dawkins believes that this...
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...irrelevant in describing managerial motives (particularly towards M&As), as it is the human behaviour that we must study. Their thesis is that managers are not acting so as to maximise shareholder wealth (agrees with agency theory) and their primary motivation behind M&As is to gain power. The data and methodology used by the paper: This diagnostic paper provides a literature review of previous research and then looks forward by applying behavioural ideas of ‘memetics’ to explain the motivation behind managers’ actions. The results of the paper and meaning of the results, in your own words: Findings reveal that efficiency based theories do not adequately explain corporate M&A behaviour and suggest with the explanatory use of memes (assuming we all know what they are), suggests that it’s not financial returns or reasoning that often drives managers to make decisions, but power. Increased power, increases a managers ability of transferring ideas or stories to...
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...Memes What are memes? I remember hearing a TED talk with Richard Dawkins (he coined the word) where he explained that meme is simply a rogue cultural variant. My curiosity was peaked and had to find out more. Memes surround us like the air we breathe. We don’t realize it but memes are present when we wake up pour the first cup of coffee of the day and turn on the news, drive to work, take the train, memes continuously embed themselves into our subconscious every day. Memes are simply “pieces” of culture. These pieces or units range from political To shoes to the frivolous and every place in between. Memes are absorbed through our cultural consciousness where they evolve, mutate, compete or simply die or lie dormant. Search Terms: Richard Dawkins Lumsden and Wilson Cultural Transmission Recessive Memes Meta Representations Culturegen Distin 'unit of information residing in the brain' that is dependent on representational context’ = Dawkins definition of a meme Representation of a representation is a meta representation. Memes unlike genes cannot reproduce themselves, our culture is the physical manifestation(phenotype) of the meme. Memes can be compared to heuristic algorithms within a computer program that influence the culture in which it is created. This leads to future iterations of memes. I think of memes this way. Years ago I went to an in-service training entitled “effective communication strategies in management”. We did this...
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...ties and weak ties influence how a meme is transferred? Every day different people and groups are transferring memes onto others and so forth. As a matter of fact, these memes are transferred in the world through many different ways and through different relationships such as strong-tie and weak-tie relationships. Even though memes are passed on and on again through these ties, it is done through a different process in these ties between people. This is shown by connecting Malcolm Gladwell’s, author of Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted, reading and Susan Blackmore’s, author of Strange Creatures, reading. Weak-ties influences how a meme is transferred by sending information to a more collective group rather than individually. “Our acquaintances-not our friends- are our greatest source of new ideas and information” (Gladwell 137). The word “acquaintances” in this quotation implies that it is better for someone to ask an acquaintance for help or information in order to get what they want. This quotation is an example of how information is easily passed on through people who barely know each other. A weak tie relationship such as acquaintances shows how memes are transferred. If looked even closer, if many people, online, give out information others would join in on the process and thus the cycle of ideas being passed onto others. Susan Blackmore the author of Strange Creatures wrote an essay describing these words called memes. Throughout Blackmore’s reading she...
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...Dawkin’s Delusion (1) Deluded about God? (2) Has Science Disproved God? -the advancement of science and discovery does not equate to atheism rising or substantiating what atheism stands for -nature can be interpreted in a theistic and atheistic way; both are genuine intellectual possibilities for science -there are limits to science; -“some ultimate questions lie beyond science” Sir Martin Rees, president of Royal society, which brings together Britain’s leading scientists -the great questions of life cannot be answered with any degree of certainty; any given set of observations can be explained by a number of theories -science cannot be mixed by interpretation -“science explains everything” outlook is dismissed and naïve -scientific theories cannot “explain the world” but only “explain the phenomena” observed in the world. -is there purpose within nature? How did everything begin? What are we all here for? What is the point of living? Where are we going after this? Non-overlapping magisteria of science & religion Partially overlapping magisteria of science & religion a realisation that science and religion offer possibilities of cross fertilisation on account of interpenetration of their subjects and methods Francis Collins; evolutionary biologist who heads up the famous Human Genome Project: “a richly satisfying harmony between the scientific and spiritual worldviews” “principles of faith is complementary to the principles of science” Owen Gingerich (leading...
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...In "Strange Creatures," Susan Blackmore proposes the idea of "memes," which she tends to describe as imitation of others, and seemingly brands us as memes. However, through Malcolm Gladwell's "Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted," we are able to interpret as to how exactly memes inspire people and what consequences they bring about. The phenomena of Strong-Ties and Weak-Ties give an apt understanding of memes and their consequences. Blackmore seeming goes against the idea that us humans can generate our own ideas. As she implies "Instead of thinking of our ideas as our own creations, and as working for us, we have to think of them as autonomous selfish memes, working only to get themselves copied"(Blackmore,37). That obviously...
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...In ELA we were assigned to created our own memes based on the book Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury. My meme focuses on the effect technology has on citizens causing an increase of self obsession and no original thoughts in the society of Fahrenheit 451. This meme was targeted at people in our society to be aware of these dangers. This the original meme I created. As you can see by looking at the meme, there is endless amounts of chaos occurring in the background. All of this chaos is just a few feet away from the girl. However, the girl is paying no attention to the ruckus in the back, due to the fact that she is watching her television show. This along with the text that is on the meme, shows her priorities. Similar to many in...
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...heavens, earth and memes. n the beginning god made the heavens, earth and memes. n the beginning god made the heavens, earth and memes. n the beginning god made the heavens, earth and memes. n the beginning god made the heavens, earth and memes. n the beginning god made the heavens, earth and memes. n the beginning god made the heavens, earth and memes. n the beginning god made the heavens, earth and memes. n the beginning god made the heavens, earth and memes. n the beginning god made the heavens, earth and memes. n the beginning god made the heavens, earth and memes. n the beginning god made the heavens, earth and memes. n the beginning god made the heavens, earth and memes. n the beginning god made the heavens, earth and memes. n the beginning god made the heavens, earth and memes. n the beginning god made the heavens, earth and memes. n the beginning god made the heavens, earth and memes. n the beginning god made the heavens, earth and memes. n the beginning god made the heavens, earth and memes. n the beginning god made the heavens, earth and memes. n the beginning god made the heavens, earth and memes. n the beginning god made the heavens, earth and memes. n the beginning god made the heavens, earth and memes. n the beginning god made the heavens, earth and memes. n the beginning god made the heavens, earth and memes. n the beginning god made the heavens, earth and memes. n the beginning god made the heavens, earth and memes. n the beginning god...
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...Memes have been around since the beginning of our society and culture; however, today they are known by a different meaning that has been recently made in human history. Originally memes were equated to society’s equivalent of genes, and they consisted of practices and customs passed on by each passing generation to the next. In a way this concept explained the flow of ideas through time and how ones that were considered backwards or barbaric faded away. In the last decade the definition has changed and although it is more humorous it has a stark contrast with the previous meaning. This meaning should be brought back to the original by either having the newer removed, or having an entirely new word dedicated to it. The current description...
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...In 1976, an idea that would eventually become a worldwide cultural phenomenon was conceived. Interestingly, the term “meme” was coined by British biologist Richard Dawkins before the invention of the internet, and was defined as “ideas that guide human behavior.” The word was derived from the greek mimema (that which is imitated) which Dawkins shortened to rhyme with the word gene (Mondschein). Initially, it was used in evolutionary biology to compare the passing of genes onto next generations to the passing of memes-- cultural and social behaviors-- onto the next generation (Schrempp). However, today, memes come to represent a more nuanced idea that resonates deeply with younger, especially teenage, generations. Now, memes are more commonly...
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...ENTREPRISE COMMUNICATIONNELLE ET COMMUNICATION THÉÂTRALE : UNE ALLIANCE LÉGITIME ? LES ENJEUX DU THÉÂTRE D'ENTREPRISE Tania BOROS Mémoire de 4e année Organisations, hommes et management Sous la direction de : Lionel Honoré 2011 - 2012 « Le théâtre, à proprement parler n’a rien à dire, ni personne à informer ou à convaincre. Il se contente de créer les conditions d’une connivence et de révéler le destinateur à luimême » Jacky Martin Remerciements Un grand merci à M. Lionel Honoré, pour la grande autonomie accordée quant au choix du sujet et dans la rédaction du mémoire. Merci à Messieurs Baier, Chabert, Lorgnier, Poissonneau, Sabbagh, Simmonet, Tasik pour leurs conseils et leurs contributions à ce projet de recherche. A Sébastien, Séléna et Fanny, pour leur amitié et leur soutien sans faille tout au long de cette année, décisive sur de nombreux aspects : un gigantesque merci. Merci à toutes ces amitiés outre-atlantique (argentines, chiliennes, colombiennes, équatoriennes...) qui ont si bien su me rappeler que la vie est un merveilleux théâtre et qu'il ne tient qu'à soi de choisir d'interpréter le rôle que l'on souhaite. Merci enfin à Khal Drogo, qui nous a permis de chevaucher avec entrain, cette impressionnante montagne que fut le mémoire de 4e année ! Entreprise communicationnelle et communication théâtrale : une alliance légitime ? Les enjeux du Théâtre d'Entreprise Tania BOROS Table des matières Table des illustrations...........
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...iNTEGRATIVE Perpetual evolution: A dynamic integrative approach to developing praxis in counselling psychology Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 Theory Building in Counselling Psychology 2 The Impulse Toward Eclecticism 4 My Bohartian History 6 Adlerian Psychotherapy as Structured Eclecticism 10 My Adlerian Roots 11 Beyond Adler: Robertsonian Meme Therapy 13 The Nature of Self 13 The Potential for Using Memes in Counselling 15 A Use of Meme Theory in Counselling a Suicidal Youth 17 Holistic, Dynamic and Integrative: Looking Forward in Our Profession 21 Summarizing the Foundational Principles of My Practice 21 Revisiting Holism 23 Future directions 25 Footnotes 27 Theory Building in Counselling Psychology An early text lamented, “A good theory is clear, comprehensive, explicit, parsimonious, and useful. We appear to have a paucity of good theories in psychology” (Stefflre & Matheny, 1968). Lent attempted to reduce this paucity by formulating his own theory: Wellness is intended to capture the notion of health as a dynamic state or process rather than a static endpoint; psychosocial wellness acknowledges the importance of both intrapersonal and interpersonal functioning. The multiple aspects of wellness would include a) self-perceived (domain and/or global) satisfaction (hedonic well-being), b) domain/role satisfactoriness, c) presence of prosocial versus antisocial behavior, and d) low levels of psychologistical...
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