Description: The notion of 'natural kinds' has been central to contemporary discussions of metaphysics and philosophy of science. Although explicitly articulated by nineteenth-century philosophers like Mill, Whewell and Venn, it has a much older history dating back to Plato and Aristotle. In recent years, essentialism has been the dominant account of natural kinds among philosophers, but the essentialist view has encountered resistance, especially among naturalist metaphysicians and philosophers of science. Informed by detailed examination of classification in the natural and social sciences, this book argues against essentialism and for a naturalist account of natural kinds. By looking at case studies drawn from diverse scientific disciplines, from fluid mechanics to virology and polymer science to psychiatry, the author argues that natural kinds are nodes in causal networks. On the basis of this account, he maintains that there can be natural kinds in the social sciences as well as the natural sciences.
Brief description: Muhammad Ali Khalidi is Associate Professor of Philosophy at York University, Toronto.
Review Quotes: "... [Natural Categories and Human Kinds] is to my mind the most up-to-date, comprehensive, and interesting book-length treatment of natural kinds available today. Both newcomers to this area of inquiry and seasoned veterans will doubtless benefit from its study. Khalidi's straightforward prose and careful argument makes the book a pleasure to read and think about; his patient stage-setting and summary make it an excellent option for advanced undergraduate courses in the philosophy of science."
Matthew H. Slater, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science