This post is an extention of the earlier one ("The social replicators"). I call it extention because this thought came to me while writing that post. Although this writing took a long time to get posted, since I decided to keep the scope of my earlier article to introduction to this topic. Now I believe I can go ahead with another related concept.
Memes have tremendous power (by this I do not mean any supernatural power :-P). They can control masses. Memes can be constructive or distructive (as in case of genes; can be lethal too [Web definition of lethal gene: A gene which brings about the death of the organism carrying it]). Let us consider ideas (memes to be precise) as an object. Something having physical representation, just like genes. They are a part of this evolutionary process and playing a major role in human evolution (about which I have already mentioned in my earlier post “The Social Replicators”). Here I am trying to put forth an analogy between genetic and memetic linkage.
Genetic linkage is an interesting concept. The best and most simple example that we come across in the biology textbooks is in fruit flies. The genes affecting eye color and wing length are inherited together because they appear on the same chromosome. [Web definition of genetic linkages: Genetic linkage is the tendency of certain loci or alleles to be inherited together. Genetic loci that are physically close to one another on the same chromosome tend to stay together during meiosis, and are thus genetically linked]. Appearance of two genes on same chromosome is not a sufficient criterion for considering those two genes to be linked. Their loci’s have to be so close, that there is a very rare probability that they are separated during the process of crossing over. To find out how much two genes are linked generally we need to calculate relative distances between two loci where the genes reside. Even simply by observing the phenotypic traits of a group of organism (in a population) we can assume the linked genes.
Now let us look at memes by taking an example. Consider a theist; any person who believes in God. He will also have a belief in satan/evil powers. Reason is obvious. His conscience tells him that, if something as pure or good as God exists (whom he may not see or experience) then something opposite of him may also exist. These are actually two seperate ideas. But still they exist together in a population. If these two ideas are considered as concrete objects and if we assume that they govern actions in our society by some means (analogous to phenotypic expression of genes), that shows that these are linked ideas; i.e. linked memes. The only difficulty is, placing these two object together (since they are not concrete in practicle world) so that they are not seperated during the process of crossing over. It is asumed in this case that, both these ideas (belief in God and evil) will be inherited together (explicitly talking about memetic inheritance).
If we look around we will find many examples in this context. The point I want to make here is, we inherit memes, they travel across generations as well as individuals, they may mutate (change) or may be conserved in certain environments, but some of them always travel hand in hand. This ideological linkage is difficult to explain, when we consider them as matter. But I strongly stand by this point that they show linkage in society.
