Dr. Hossam Badrawi Official Website
Genes and Memes
Wednesday, 15 March 2023
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Professor Akkad says that when we link the ideas to the people, we deprive ourselves of the good idea when it comes from the opposite, so we get involved in the ridiculous idea as long as it is derived from a friend.
History says that the owner of the new idea may be deemed a criminal in a rigorous cultural framework until his idea would be succeeded.
Ibn Rushd says that the ideas have wings and their spread can’t be held even if we burn the books that contained them or kill the person who invented them.
I figured out that I would not be convinced of an idea, without having disagreement with the thinker, and I liked Galileo’s saying “It is easy to understand any truth after discovering it, but the idea lies in discovering it”. A person may die, and nations may rise or collapse, but the idea continues to survive, as the validity of ideas will not be expired if they can confront the constants the public is comfortable with believing them, and we should understand that the idea will have the strength when it overwhelms the conscience of the public or it could be imposed by some through repetition in the minds of the masses.. Consequently, sciences have been existed on how to do such thing in the modern era, and creating facts without being proven, which may spread although they have not distinguished by the characteristics of validity.
What’s the meaning of “the cultural development”?
It is a question I hadn’t think of, until I read a book by Clinton Richard Dickens entitled “The Selfish Gene” and another titled “The Expanded Phenotype “.
When he published his two books to talk about the theory of ideas development, giving the term “Meme”, I delved deeper into research to find that ideas are really similar to genes. Genes carry the genetic information inside them as they that are transmitted and reproduced, just as the ideas carrying information and knowledge to be transmitted and reproduced, but via different means. In the case of the genetic material, the DNA carries the information, which is a chemical instruction that guides the cell and orders it on how to build the necessary proteins, which the body of the living thing needs to survive and reproduce, whether that organism is a bacterium we can only see by help of the microscope, or a huge living being like a whale or an elephant, for example.
There is a stimulus within the genes of creation to reproduce to make more copies of the same creature using its genetic material and without this inducement, the genetic material dies and the creature gets expunged.
Our genetic material shares interesting and distinctive features with ideas, myths, the rough life lessons, all of which include messages and a stimulant to reproduce, multiply and spread.
Although there is a considerable difference between the biological life and ideas, there is a linkage between both of them, as the multiplying and self-splitting ideas are very similar to genes, the matter which prompted Dickens to formulate his theory ending up with the term “Memes” which is equal to “Genes”, so (Gene=Meme).
The replication of information is the basic inherent and common principle between the genes and memes.. Charles Darwin realized and documented his ideas about the principles of evolution by the natural selection, which despite the massive amount he wrote about, his research revolved around three basic principles: reproduction, mutation and natural selection (survival of the fittest rules).
If we reformulate these three concepts in the context of what we are talking about, then the knowledge and information multiply, and having mutations inside them and from which new ideas emerge to allow the most appropriate and fittest ideas remain, so in this framework, the Genes and Memes resemble, which is called “the Memetics” that could be the foundation and basis of the science of development of the humanitarian knowledge and ideas alongside with their interpretation.
The definition of “Meme” is simple, it is just an idea, concept, information or opinion that can be passed from one mind to another, which generates in a person the motivation and desire to pass and convey it to another person. The “Meme” is any fragment or part of information transmitted by the minds through any possible mechanism.
Genes and Memes are both self-replicating information that reproduce in different ways from each other, but with the same methodology, the first through the biochemical processes, and the second through the communication and interaction between one person and another, or between one people and another, but they fundamentally are just information. More importantly, the same information Genes and Memes contain, constitutes the catalytic force and momentum for their reproduction and multiplication.
Meme’s life has a cycle of transmission and survival, as Memes differ – like Genes – in their ability to multiply, where the successful Memes survive and spread, while the poor and impaired Memes disappear and are forgotten.
Memes firstly need to survive, so the longer Meme everlasting in a group of people, the more likely to have good chance for spreading. But survival is not enough to sustain a Meme for a long time, so Memes need to be transmitted.
Information is transmitted, either vertically (from the parent to child), or horizontally through infection (such as viruses), and Memes can reproduce and multiply vertically or horizontally within one biological generation, and Memes may also remain dormant for a long duration of time.
Memes spread by copying from one mind to another through communication, sometimes by imitation, as imitation usually involves copying a behavior from one individual to another. Communication may be direct or indirect, where Memes are transmitted from one individual to another through a copy stored in a non-animal source, such as poetry, books or pieces of music and films.
In order for “Meme” to be spread, it should have some characteristics and features the religions and historical popular myths needed, such as its credibility and it shall be directed to a large number of people or to the whole of society, it should be easier to be spread and transmitted and the climate should be fully prepared and ready for it or totally in confliction with it. In both cases, the dissemination will be more possible.
Ignorance generates confidence and pride more than what is offered by knowledge, so those who know little are the ones who emphasize that problems will not be solved by science, but by faith and through believing in what has no proof, and this belief multiplies, spreads, is exposed to mutations and it is filtered through the time.
Here, I would like to go back to the history of the emergence of “Meme” related to fanaticism and extremism. “Meme” related to fanaticism began with absolutes in thought, then with expiation for the religiously different, then with the desire to eliminate everyone who does not follow the belief of the majority.
The “Memes” of fanaticism are created by ignorance in all ages, and the more a person has increased ignorance, he evades dialogue and becomes more insistent on what he thinks it is absolute and he can’t convince the other of his beliefs, which he previously acquired, which people intervened in preparing them who considered themselves the protectors of religion and imposed their control in the name of Allah over the rest of the people around them. History tells us that the way to impose these beliefs was by spreading the call sometimes through motivation, and other times through force and oppression, and there is no objection to kill, end even committing the massacres that history often quotes.
The Jewish religion, for example, began by making Allah a god for the Israelites only, as it embodied Allah. This religion started and spread Meme of the fanaticism, and this “Meme” multiplied and invaded the “Memes” Christianity, and unfortunately this also extended to Islam.
Memes multiply and have mutations, and there is no left of them except the most appropriate and fittest that should remain, which takes a long time that can’t be counted in dozens, but in thousands of years. Therefore, according to my optimism and future insight, I expect the disappearance of “Memes” of fanaticism and the survival of tolerance and affection for humanity, but we have to spread our positive ideas, promote dialogue with our children and youth, because the ideas with wings need motives, protection and the creation of a climate for their reproduction against the mutations of ignorance.
The Ten Commandments of Mosses and similar ones in all human cultures, the calls for affection and tolerance Jesus called for, the noble morals, the Creator’s mercy and justice, and the call for learning and raising the position of scholars and scientists that have been established by Muhammad the Prophet are “Memes” in the sense of the word as they spread and became part of humanity, but they contradict with and confront “Memes.” of ignorance, despotism, violence, harshness, intimidation, terrorization and incestuous amplification.
What’s new is the “Meme of Internet”, a concept that is now spreading rapidly from person to another, mostly via the email, blogs, forums, image boards, social networking websites, instant messaging, social news websites and video-sharing sites such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook .
This is an evolution and development in the spread of Memes, in which modern technology interferes in their spread, as it does not represent the natural spread of Memes, as was the case in the past. The same thing happens in human-made genetic mutations, which are not identical with Darwin’s theory of the natural selection. These fabricated mutations may in the future cause an essential change in the shape and behavior of creatures, and this could lead to an alarming and frightening imbalance.
Nature, over millions of years, gradually led to what we are today as biologically human beings, and to the spread of certain Memes that were associated with the development of the human mind, its imagination and its ability to absorb and accommodate it. However, man’s intervention and his usage of science to achieve certain and specific goals may topple the scales of gradation and create a new future that does not depend on the natural development humanity does not know before, and may not be prepared and ready for it.
