Part 3: The Unification of Humankind
Chap 9: The Arrow of History
Cultures are giant memeplexes, but since the memeplex could have memes that don't play well together, they could compete and struggle, and this causes a culture to change.For example, in medieval Europe, Christianity advocated humility and meekness, but the nobles also valued glory and honour and fame and stuff. To reconcile these contradictions, they went on crusades and stuff trying to make a compromise, and culture changed as a result.
Western politics after the French Revolution is based on equality and freedom, but they don't play well together. To be equal, the better-off are forced to help the worse-off, that is, to infringe on the freedom of the better-off.
discord in our thoughts, ideas and values compel us to think, reevaluate and criticise. Consistency is the playground of dull minds.The tendency of history is that cultures merge and memeplexes get more universal. There are three ways:
- Economically, by universal use of money.
- Politically, by imperialism.
- Religiously, by universal religions.
