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The perpetual churnings of the waves and the tides are stirred by
the gravity of the moon. But what propels the cultural tides of human
beings?
What causes a horde of barbaric nomads in the desert wastes of
the Arab peninsula to suddenly coalesce under the leadership of one
man and spill across the known world, carving out an empire? How
does an invisible idea preached by an ayatollah pull isolated humans
into surging swells of believers ready to die--or kill--for "truth?" Why
does a sect originally committed to turning the other cheek flood the
world with warriors who literally wade in blood?8 What makes a
country like Victorian England crest in the domination of fully half the
planet, then ebb like a spent wave from power and prosperity? What
undertow is sucking America into that same path today?
Five simple concepts help explain these human currents. Each
section of this book concentrates on one of those concepts... and its
sometimes startling implications. Together, these concepts are the
foundation underlying the Lucifer Principle.
Concept number one: the principle of self-organizing
systems--replicators--bits of structure that function as mini-factories,
assembling raw materials, then churning out intricate products. These
natural assembly units (genes are one example) crank out their goods so
cheaply that the end results are appallingly expendable. Among those
expendable products are you and me.
Concept number two: the superorganism. We are not the rugged
individuals we would like to be. We are, instead, disposable parts of a
being much larger than ourselves.
Concept number three: the meme--a self-replicating cluster of
ideas. Thanks to a handful of biological tricks, these visions become the
glue that holds together civilizations, giving each culture its distinctive
shape, making some intolerant of dissent and others open to diversity.
They are the tools with which we unlock the forces of nature. Our
visions bestow the dream of peace. They also turn us into killers.
<< < GO > >>
15
15
The perpetual churnings of the waves and the tides are stirred by
the gravity of the moon. But what propels the cultural tides of human
beings?
What causes a horde of barbaric nomads in the desert wastes of
the Arab peninsula to suddenly coalesce under the leadership of one
man and spill across the known world, carving out an empire? How
does an invisible idea preached by an ayatollah pull isolated humans
into surging swells of believers ready to die--or kill--for "truth?" Why
does a sect originally committed to turning the other cheek flood the
world with warriors who literally wade in blood?8 What makes a
country like Victorian England crest in the domination of fully half the
planet, then ebb like a spent wave from power and prosperity? What
undertow is sucking America into that same path today?
Five simple concepts help explain these human currents. Each
section of this book concentrates on one of those concepts... and its
sometimes startling implications. Together, these concepts are the
foundation underlying the Lucifer Principle.
Concept number one: the principle of self-organizing
systems--replicators--bits of structure that function as mini-factories,
assembling raw materials, then churning out intricate products. These
natural assembly units (genes are one example) crank out their goods so
cheaply that the end results are appallingly expendable. Among those
expendable products are you and me.
Concept number two: the superorganism. We are not the rugged
individuals we would like to be. We are, instead, disposable parts of a
being much larger than ourselves.
Concept number three: the meme--a self-replicating cluster of
ideas. Thanks to a handful of biological tricks, these visions become the
glue that holds together civilizations, giving each culture its distinctive
shape, making some intolerant of dissent and others open to diversity.
They are the tools with which we unlock the forces of nature. Our
visions bestow the dream of peace. They also turn us into killers.
<< < GO > >>