From Ramon Pediani
Mary Midgley, in criticising Daniel Dennett’s work on religions, is wrong to suggest that memeticists only apply their methods to doctrines they dislike and that this is irrational and unscientific (25 March, p 24). One only has to look at the online Journal of Memetics (www.jom-emit.org/past.html) to see that a wide range of topics are studied, including such diverse topics as the evolution of language, financial markets, and yes…memetics itself.
Research often starts from a familiarity or liking for a particular subject as much as from a concern about it – my own PhD thesis was on the memes to be found within the new ideas and techniques that have reduced post-surgical pain and nausea in recent years. Religions, viewed through a memetic lens, are yet another form of human cultural evolution, and it is important they be explored and commented upon from a variety of perspectives.
Blackpool, UK
