Concept information
Preferred term
kinds: natural kinds versus human kinds
Definition
- Both the natural and the social sciences posit taxonomies or classification schemes that divide their objects of study into various categories. Many philosophers hold that what makes some taxonomic schemes more legitimate than others is that they correspond to actually existing divisions in nature, which they label “natural kinds.” In other words, some classification schemes “carve nature at the joints” (to use a phrase inspired by Plato), while others are merely arbitrary or gerrymandered. [Source: Encyclopedia of Philosophy and the Social Sciences; Kinds: Natural Kinds versus Human Kinds]
Broader concept
Belongs to group
URI
https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/kinds:_natural_kinds_versus_human_kinds
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