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Re: [jboske] Mr. Bird and other carnivores



And Rosta scripsit:

> Because Kinds (and properties) exist by virtue of abstract definition,
> not by virtue of the contingent facts of the local world. 

This gets into fuggly issues of essentialism, particularly the attempt
to distinguish between essential and contingent properties.

> > They are swans all right.  The question is whether it would be wrong to
> > deny that Mr. Bluebird is a subkind of Mr. Blanu merely because some
> > non-blue bluebirds might be discovered eventually.
> 
> I think it would definitely be wrong.  Must a bluebird be blue? No. 

How do you know that?

> -- According to my definitions of bluebirdhood.

So Kind is subjective?

-- 
John Cowan  jcowan@hidden.email  www.ccil.org/~cowan  www.reutershealth.com
"If he has seen farther than others,
        it is because he is standing on a stack of dwarves."
                --Mike Champion, describing Tim Berners-Lee (adapted)