Ereshefsky post-Linnaean book

[Kirk Fitzhugh]

At 03:14 PM 5/3/01 -0400, you wrote:
>The book is clearly written, and can handle readers who are not
>systematists - the principles of the three main schools of systenmatics are
>explained, for the most part fairly clearly.  E. is a strong pluralist,
>that is, he does not only allow that different criteria may ybe used to
>reccognise species, but that there are quite different ways of carving up
>the world, all of which may entail naming systems, I suppose.  He allows
>that we may continue to use the word species for pragmatic reasons, but
>believes a new naming system is needed.  He thinks that the "Linnaean"
>naming system now in use is necessarily associated with essentialism, but
>his extensive discussion of this point is largely incorrect.  However, that
>does not affect his overall thesis, even if allowing the possibility of
>binomials - which surely are simply noun + adjective combinations in latin
>form, and noun + adjective combinations are the basis of much human
>communication - might allow him more flexibility in the suggestions he
>offers.

The "noun + adjective combinations" is a good point, especially since all
verbal and written communication is by way of propositions, which are
conjunctions of subjects and predicates. One does not have to be an
essentialist to convey the implication that classes of organisms, be they
families, genera, species, "rankless" names, etc., are intended to denote
historical (=causal) relationships that account for the presence of
individuals. The naming of classes can occur by a variety of methods, as
we've already seen. What is more important is what those names intend in
science. With the intent understood, I have no problem using the Linnean
system.

KF

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"A logic that tends toward answers and
neglects the questions is a false logic."

Collingwood (1939)

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Kirk Fitzhugh, Ph.D.
Associate Curator of Polychaetes
Research & Collections Branch
Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History
900 Exposition Blvd
Los Angeles CA 90007
Phone:   213-763-3233
FAX:     213-746-2999
e-mail:  kfitzhug at nhm.org
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