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Single Idea 17376

[filed under theme 7. Existence / E. Categories / 2. Categorisation ]

Full Idea

The most important desideratum of a classificatory scheme is that assigning an object to a particular classification tell us as much as possible about that object.

Gist of Idea

We should aim for a classification which tells us as much as possible about the object

Source

John Dupré (The Disorder of Things [1993], Ch 1)

Book Ref

Dupré,John: 'The Disorder of Things' [Harvard 1995], p.18

A Reaction

We should probably say that the aim is a successful explanation, rather than a heap of information. If we are totally baffled by a particular type of object, it is presumably important to group the instances together, to focus the bafflement.

The 17 ideas with the same theme [how the mind approaches putting things into categories]:

13775 We only succeed in cutting if we use appropriate tools, not if we approach it randomly [Plato]
16121 I revere anyone who can discern a single thing that encompasses many things [Plato]
13435 We can't categorise things by their real essences, because these are unknown [Locke]
12535 If we discovered real essences, we would still categorise things by the external appearance [Locke]
6160 Does Kant say the mind imposes categories, or that it restricts us to them? [Rowlands on Kant]
22649 Classification can only ever be for a particular purpose [James]
4048 Infant brains appear to have inbuilt ontological categories [Goldman]
8986 We should abandon classifying by pigeon-holes, and classify around paradigms [Sainsbury]
17376 We should aim for a classification which tells us as much as possible about the object [Dupré]
4913 Brain lesions can erase whole categories of perception, suggesting they are hard-wired [Carter,R]
15682 Even fairly simple animals make judgements based on categories [Gelman]
15691 Children accept real stable categories, with nonobvious potential that gives causal explanations [Gelman]
13131 The aim is that everything should belong in some ontological category or other [Westerhoff]
10494 Several words may label a category; one word can name several categories; some categories lack words [Ellen]
18573 For each category of objects (such as 'dog') an individual seems to have several concepts [Machery]
18602 A thing is classified if its features are likely to be generated by that category's causal laws [Machery]
18604 Are quick and slow categorisation the same process, or quite different? [Machery]