DAWKINS AND KOZOL

The Meme concept from Dawkins and the Educational Funding concept from Kozol

Table of Contents

Introduction2

Discussion and Analysis2

Conclusion8

References10

Annotated Bibliography12

The Meme concept from Dawkins and the Educational Funding concept from Kozol

Introduction

A meme (even in English, modeled on gene, unrelated and not to be confused with the same French) is an element culturally recognizable (example: a concept, a habit, an information, a phenomenon, an attitude, etc), replicated and transmitted by the imitation of the behavior of an individual by other individuals. The Oxford English Dictionary defines the meme as an element of a Culture (taken here in the sense of civilization) can be regarded as transmitted by nongenetic means, especially through imitation. The term meme was first proposed by Richard Dawkins in The Selfish Gene and comes from an association between gene and mimesis. Dawkins also points to a close kinship with the French word same. Memes were presented by Dawkins as replicators, comparable in this respect to genes, but responsible for the evolution of certain animal behaviors and cultures. Dawkins's definition is a unit of information in a brain, exchangeable within a society. It results from an assumption that cultures evolve as living beings, and variations by natural selection. Like the gene, the meme is the basic unit in this development.

Discussion and Analysis

Dawkins was not the first to propose that natural selection operating on genes, nor was the first to say that selfishness is the basis of biological evolution. Williams, Hamilton and others had argued decisively in 1966 we had to discard the idea that natural selection operated on the basis of species, families, groups or individuals. On the other hand, the idea of ??biological selfishness is the orthodoxy from almost the origin of Darwin's theory and only some unorthodox, as the anarchist Kropotkin, have tried to show, with little success, altruism can also play an important role in books like Mutual Support. Despite Dawkins's insistence on mentioning loyally to their predecessors, many people believe he was the first to propose two ideas of natural selection operating on genes and selfishness of genes.

For the foregoing dispute are both economic and philosophical differences. Supporters Kozol - since the 60s has been steadily thinning their number - are of the opinion that the differences between schools for the top and schools for the lower classes, by definition, undemocratic, and that the U.S. should strive for absolute equality, even if it will have to cut funding schools in more affluent areas, and support special programs for gifted children (Dawkins & McKean, 2011). Opponents Kozol also believe that all this is fraught with egalitarianism that runs counter to the spirit of American life. Is not it should seek to ensure that children fully realize their potential - even if it means to throw in the rear of their peers academically worse? Is it fair to take away money from successful schools and throw into the bottomless abyss? Kozol well articulated this position: These people see the word must all be equal, and read them ...