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As you see, the so-called Problem of Evil doesn't exist for me. As I explained in Ishmael, what the gods know about good and evil is this: Whatever they do is good for one but evil for another, and it can't be otherwise. If the quail eats the grasshopper, then this is good for the quail but evil for the grasshopper. And if the fox eats the quail, then this is good for the fox but evil for the quail. The gods obviously can't make a rule like "No quail may eat a grasshopper" or "Quails deserve to be protected from foxes." Grasshopper, quail, and fox all live in the hands of the gods for a time, and not one of them has cause for complaint or disappointment. The same is true of us. Providence

New book from Daniel Quinn! If They Give You Lined Paper, Write Sideways "One of the most troublesome questions I've been asked--and it's been asked hundreds of times--is: 'Where do these strange ideas of yours come from?' In the beginning, I thought it was just the usual where-do-you-get-your-ideas? question that all authors receive. My readers soon set me straight. Read more ... Excerpt 1 Excerpt 2 Excerpt 3

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UNIT 5 Genes and Memes

Advertising copywriters often make good use of memes to sell products. A men's hair-coloring product has had success with the motto "Looks so natural, no one can tell!" What's so important about looking "natural"? Why does it matter that "no one can tell"?

The 1974 film Death Wish was about an armed vigilante who reduced the crime rate in New York City by terrorizing muggers. Among others, it communicated the meme Ordinary citizens need guns to protect themselves from urban crime. What are some other ways this meme is communicated in our society?

Most popular movies lend themselves to analysis in terms of memes. The Blair Witch Project convincingly conveys the meme You may not be as much in control of things as you think. Discuss current hits in terms of the memes they convey.

What are some of the "new ideas" that made the Renaissance what it was?
As a writing assignment, have students explain in their own words why lethal genes survive.
As a research project, have students discover the meme that made suicide "irresistibly attractive" to Heaven's Gate cultists. [Searching on "Heaven's Gate" on the internet will lead to many different sites devoted to the cult.]

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