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Full Idea
There are three hierarchies of natural kinds: objects or substances (substantive universals), events or processes (dynamic universals), and properties or relations (tropic universals).
Clarification
For tropes, see Idea 4444
Gist of Idea
The natural kinds are objects, processes and properties/relations
Source
Brian Ellis (Katzav on limitations of dispositions [2005], 91)
Book Ref
-: 'Analysis 65.1 Jan 2005' [- 2005], p.90
A Reaction
Most interesting here is the identifying of natural kinds with universals, making universals into the families of nature. Universals are high-level sets of natural kinds. To grasp universals you must see patterns, and infer the underlying order.
| 6616 | Least action is not a causal law, but a 'global law', describing a global essence [Ellis] |
| 6612 | Without general principles, we couldn't predict the behaviour of dispositional properties [Ellis] |
| 6613 | The natural kinds are objects, processes and properties/relations [Ellis] |
| 6615 | A species requires a genus, and its essence includes the essence of the genus [Ellis] |
| 6614 | A hierarchy of natural kinds is elaborate ontology, but needed to explain natural laws [Ellis] |