Abstract

One of the most critical challenges faced in science is that of categorization. Both at the inception of a new field and recurrently as it matures, its objects of interest must be classified according to their similarities, and the resulting kinds must be conceptualized in a way that mirrors the best of what is known or postulated about them—all in the hope that those kinds are either real or of practical significance. Transformations in the conceptual chart of any scientific discipline are not only usual but a sign of and often a requirement for its development. Curiously enough, the most prominent definition of...