Re: 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-k6JZYsoqQQ8PxK1qzZLvrwC/[email protected] 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)