|
International Affairs - Featured Article
This is the featured article from the current issue of International Affairs. The featured article is free to all users. All other articles are members' only.
This material may not be used, sold, licensed, transferred, copied or reproduced in whole or in part or in any manner or form without prior consent of the Royal Institute of International Affairs.
War, Memes and Memeplexes
Christopher Coker, October 2008
Download article here
Meme theory has been attracting much attention in recent years. Pioneered by Richard Dawkins and Daniel Dennett it suggests that there are self-replicating units of culture analogous to genes. Like genes these 'memes' seek to copy themselves as widely as possible. One of them may be war. Memetics remains in its infancy but the truly sobering aspect is that 'fitness of purpose' for a meme may have little to do with the biological fitness of the people who are 'programmed' by it; it simply evolves because it is advantageous for itself. Memes also persist because they flourish in the presence of other memes (such as religion) in what Dawkins calls 'memeplexes'. One of the most persistent memes is honour, and another is revenge for dishonour imagined or real. War is a powerful medium for both. Even if meme theory never catches on it encourages us to think about war more creatively.
Audio (mp3)
Members only content
Microsoft® Word™ Document