Biological species: Natural kinds, individuals, or what?
British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 38 (2):225-242 (1987)
| Authors |
Michael Ruse
Florida State University
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| Abstract |
What are biological species? Aristotelians and Lockeans agree that they are natural kinds; but, evolutionary theory shows that neither traditional philosophical approach is truly adequate. Recently, Michael Ghiselin and David Hull have argued that species are individuals. This claim is shown to be against the spirit of much modern biology. It is concluded that species are natural kinds of a sort, and that any 'objectivity' they possess comes from their being at the focus of a consilience of inductions.
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| Keywords | Natural Kinds |
| Categories | (categorize this paper) |
| DOI | 10.1093/bjps/38.2.225 |
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Citations of this work BETA
Individuality, Pluralism, and the Phylogenetic Species Concept.Brent D. Mishler & Robert N. Brandon - 1987 - Biology and Philosophy 2 (4):397-414.
In Defence of Classification.John Dupré - 2001 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences 32 (2):203-219.
Units of Measurement and Natural Kinds: Some Kripkean Considerations. [REVIEW]J. Brakel - 1990 - Erkenntnis 33 (3):297 - 317.
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