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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)