We learn “values” from experience, not just “facts”. (I’m putting scare-quotes here because I believe the fact/value dichotomy is often overblown.) This gives the person a place to stand which is neither gene nor meme nor simply a mixture of the two.
A huge amount of the value-related information that we get from our environment comes from other living entities attempting to manipulate us—and from memes attempting to manipulate us. Sometimes, they negotiate with us, or manipulate our sense data—rather than attempting to affect our values. However, sometimes they attempt to “hijack our brains”—and redirect our values towards their own ends, or those of their makers.
Basically most goal directedness comes from living, goal-directed systems—so genes and memes—though not necessarily your genes and memes—also those of associates and pathogens. There are some simple non-living goal-directed systems out there—but none of them have access to technology that allows them to influence our values.
If you think there are other important sources of human values—well, it isn’t terribly clear why you would think that.
Many humans delight in seeking out noble sources of value, for signalling reasons. They can’t stand to hear that genes and memes are primarily responsible for what they hold most dear—even though that’s the actual situation. This seems to be one source of “memetics resistance”—people just can’t bear to hear this story about their own values.
Alas, the next-most significant effect on human values is probably mistakes (e.g. sub-optimal adaptations). I note that these do not represent particularly noble influences either.
A huge amount of the value-related information that we get from our environment comes from other living entities attempting to manipulate us—and from memes attempting to manipulate us. Sometimes, they negotiate with us, or manipulate our sense data—rather than attempting to affect our values. However, sometimes they attempt to “hijack our brains”—and redirect our values towards their own ends, or those of their makers.
Basically most goal directedness comes from living, goal-directed systems—so genes and memes—though not necessarily your genes and memes—also those of associates and pathogens. There are some simple non-living goal-directed systems out there—but none of them have access to technology that allows them to influence our values.
If you think there are other important sources of human values—well, it isn’t terribly clear why you would think that.
Many humans delight in seeking out noble sources of value, for signalling reasons. They can’t stand to hear that genes and memes are primarily responsible for what they hold most dear—even though that’s the actual situation. This seems to be one source of “memetics resistance”—people just can’t bear to hear this story about their own values.
Alas, the next-most significant effect on human values is probably mistakes (e.g. sub-optimal adaptations). I note that these do not represent particularly noble influences either.