I met Muhammad Ali Khalidi in Paris last Spring. I had regrettably only taken the most cursory of glances at his book, Natural categories and human kinds. The library here had just gotten a copy, so 'just' that it wasn't processed and available for checkout until after I got back.

So I checked it out and took a more careful look at it when I returned. Over the summer, I was invited to write a review for Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences. This provided me a copy of my own and an occasion to think more about his view.

I was asked to write a longish essay review which both evaluated the book and connected it to broader issues that I think are important. I have am already on record as to what I think is important about natural kinds, so I use the review to distinguish MAK's view from mine and to argue briefly for my own way of doing things. It's a review and a critical notice all in one, at once other-directed and self-indulgent.

I sent my last draft off to the journal and posted it: Epistemic categories and causal kinds

---

Add Comment

Fill out the form below to add your own comments.

Your Name:

Email:

URL:

Remember me:

Insert Special:
-- [em]xxx[/em][i]xxx[/i]

Comment:


Anti-Spam: Enter 446497


Moderation is turned on for this blog. Your comment will require the administrators approval before it will be visible.

---

the philosophical foofaraw of P.D. Magnus - Page Generated in 0.0711 seconds