i am presently writing my thesis on the ontology & epistemology of memes. i would actually be interested in sharing drafts here & receiving feedback. this excerpt describes the structure as presently envisioned:
At this point, I shall take stock. I began (1.1) by first introducing memes by giving an overview of their cultural impact. I then turned (1.2) to examining the various senses of the word «meme». I specified (1.22) the focus of my thesis– image macro-type memes. Afterward, I gave basic motivations for analysing memes as art (1.31) & as speech (1.32).
The objective of this thesis is to carry out an ontological & epistemological analysis of memes. Despite their cultural & even political significance, memes have not been the subject of philosophical attention. Yet, as shown by Frankfurt’s study of bullshit (1986) and Anderson and Lepore’s examination of slurs (2013), the philosophical analysis of mundane concepts– those that we often take for granted– can be illuminating & transformative.
The upshot of this thesis is twofold. First, I hope to motivate further philosophical study of memes. Second, I hope to develop a point of juncture between disparate philosophical subdisciplines (epistemology, philosophy of art). I will pursue these aims in the next 2 chapters by developing the analysis of memes first, as art, & then, as speech.
In chapter 2, I begin with an investigation into the ontology of memes qua works of art. I draw upon Wollheim’s type/token framework (1968) from the philosophy of art in order to explicate the dual meanings present in the colloquial usage of the word «meme» & to build on preceding ontological accounts of memes (Evnine 2018, Vulliamy 2022). By contrasting memes with interpretive works of art, which exemplify a type/token ontology, I draw out significant differences between the mediums. These differences, which arise from the peculiar features of meme communities, strain the type/token distinction. I conclude that the ontology of memes requires a dedicated approach.
In chapter 3, I draw on the notion of testimony in order to make sense of epistemic interactions involving memes. The resulting concept, memetic testimony, speaks to a largely unrecognised positive epistemic dimension of memes– how memes might be epistemically edifying.
Finally, in chapter 4, I conclude by outlining future research directions.
–jay was here!