Darwinizing Culture

"The publication in 1998 of Susan Blackmore's bestselling The meme machine re-awakened the debate over the highly controversial field of memetics and, in the past couple of years there has been an explosion of interest in 'memes'. However, the one thing noticeably missing has been any kind of proper debate over the validity of a concept regarded by many as scientifically suspect." "Darwinizing culture: the status of memetics as a science pits leading intellectuals (both supporters and opponents of meme theory) against each other to battle it out, and state their case. With a Foreword by Daniel Dennett, and contributions from Dan Sperber, David Hull, Robert Boyd, Susan Blackmore, Henry Plotkin, and others, the result is a thrilling and challenging debate that will perhaps mark a turning point for the field, and for future research."--Jacket.