The Meme Machine

A MEMETIC THEORY OF ALTRUISM 161
such as ants and bees that operate by kin selection. This theory of memetic
altruism could provide the explanation. It might also help explain why the
relationship between memes and genes is apparently so successful, even though
the two replicators are so often at odds. Perhaps memes are more like a
symbiont and less like a parasite precisely because they encourage people to
cooperate with each other.
If there were many other species with memes, comparisons would be easy;
but there are not. Many birds imitate each others’ songs and so perhaps we
should expect these birds to show more altruism to each other than closely
related non-imitators. Dolphins are among the very few other species capable of
imitation, and they are renounced for stories of heroic rescues. Dolphins have
been reported to push a drowning human up to the surface of the sea, and even
to push someone onto land – a every strange thing for another species to do. But
this is only anecdote; much research would be needed to find out whether the
idea is valid or not. Other research to find out whether memetic driving of
altruism has ever occurred would be difficult, as is all research on behaviour in
our distant past.
The prospects for research are much brighter when it comes to modern
humans and their behaviour, and I want therefore to leave speculation about Kev
and Gav and return to their modern counterparts. We shall see that being kind,
generous, and friendly plays an important role in spreading memes in today’s
complicated society.