Jungian Archetypes In 1976 Richard Dawkins 'Selfish Gene'
hand! But what is a meme beyond that? In this article I’m going to explore this further, and explain why I think it’s relevant to Jungian archetypes, after explaining what is an archetype. In 1976 Richard Dawkins wrote “Selfish Gene”, proposing a gene centered view of evolution rather than an organism or group centered one. The reason he describes the gene as « selfish » and not altruistic is that the gene’s 'agenda’ is to survive as a gene through replication and that the replication of the genes is at the gene level ; a gene of type A, when it replicates, will only make copies of gene A, and not of gene B. In this ground-breaking book, Dawkins has also coined the term ‘meme’ as the equivalent unit of cultural evolution to gene, which has later given birth to the memetics, the study (not the science, as it is considered to be pseudo-science by many) of information based on an analogy with Darwinian evolution.
But wait- what is a meme? …show more content…
Dawkins explains that « just like genes who propagate themselves in the gene pool by leaping from body to body via sperms or eggs, memes also propagate themselves in the meme pool by leaping from brain to brain by the process called imitation. » Examples of memes are « tunes, ideas, catch-phrases, ways of making pots or of building arches, fashions in dress or diet, and about ceremonies, customs and technologies – all of which are spread by one person copying another » (The Selfish Gene, 1976). Discovery of mirror neurons are considered as a scientific prove by many
But wait- what is a meme? …show more content…
Dawkins explains that « just like genes who propagate themselves in the gene pool by leaping from body to body via sperms or eggs, memes also propagate themselves in the meme pool by leaping from brain to brain by the process called imitation. » Examples of memes are « tunes, ideas, catch-phrases, ways of making pots or of building arches, fashions in dress or diet, and about ceremonies, customs and technologies – all of which are spread by one person copying another » (The Selfish Gene, 1976). Discovery of mirror neurons are considered as a scientific prove by many