Re: toxic memes

[Robin Turner <robin@BILKENT.EDU.TR>]

Lee wrote:
>Memes are /not/ metaphorical at all, and language itself is the classic
>meme complex.

When I referred to "toxic memes" as  a metaphor, it was "toxic" that I
meant to be metaphorical, not "meme".  "Meme" is obviously not a  metaphor,
since it is a technical term designed to express a specific idea. Metaphor,
in the sense I am using it, is a way of expressing one (usually abstract)
concept in terms of another (usually simple and concrete.  Thus "inflation
is rising", "time passes" and "I'm feeling down" and "word virus" are all
metaphorical, because inflation does not physically rise, time does not
physically pass us, feelings have no spatial dimension and words are not
microscopic structures which replicate themselves in other organisms.
Lojban sets itself the task of avoiding unmarked metaphor as far as
possible, which may make it easier to disinfect toxic memes (he said,
metaphorically).  However, a look at the extent of unmarked metaphor in any
language shows that this is indeed a daunting task!


Robin Turner

Bilkent Universitesi,
IDMYO,
Ankara,
Turkey.

<http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/8309>