Relation Dynamics and
Thermodynamics provide a quantitative framework for analyzing society,
but they provide no means to understand the evolutionary nature of
society. They simply describe the dynamics of a relationship system in
the same manner as physical dynamics describe physical systems. There
is no evolutionary content in the dynamical equations of either.
There must be something
else driving cultural evolution there must be something that plays a
role similar to the role genes play in biological evolution. Several
individuals have discussed such a possibility. In this chapter I
consider “memes” as introduced by
Richard Dawkins [1976, 206]. I will show that based on the
characteristics of memes we can expected them to follow a Kaufman NK
evolutionary dynamic. From this I will conclude that, although, they have a
significant influence on organization dynamics, memes
cannot account for cultural evolution. I will later
introduce the mimeme concept as the replicators of cultural evolution.
Mimemes require the existence of the meme communication network but it
is the mimemes that actually drive cultural evolution. Before we
can understand mimeme dynamics we must understand meme dynamics.
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(C) 2005-2014 Wayne M. Angel.
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