more on this theme | more from this thinker | more from this text
Full Idea
A Chinese encyclopedia classifies animals as belonging to the Emperor, embalmed, tame, sucking pigs, sirens, fabulous, stray dogs, included in this classification, frenzied, innumerable, drawn with a fine brush, etcetera, or look for afar like flies.
Gist of Idea
Animal classifications: the Emperor's, fabulous, innumerable, like flies, stray dogs, embalmed….
Source
David Wiggins (Sameness and Substance [1980], 5.7 n18)
Book Ref
Wiggins,David: 'Sameness and Substance' [Blackwell 1980], p.144
A Reaction
[This glorious quotation comes from a story by Borges, first spotted by Foucault]