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Single Idea 10497

[from 'Anthropological Studies of Classification' by Roy Ellen, in 7. Existence / E. Categories / 1. Categories ]

Full Idea

Symbolic classification occurs when we use some things as a means of saying something about other things. ..They enhance the significance of some categories, so that categories imply rules and rules imply categories.

Gist of Idea

In symbolic classification, the categories are linked to rules

Source

Roy Ellen (Anthropological Studies of Classification [1996], p.35)

Book Reference

Ellen,Roy: 'The Categorical Impulse' [Bergahn Books 2008], p.35


A Reaction

I'm afraid the anthropologists seem to have more of interest to say about categories than philosophers do. Though maybe we couldn't do anthropology if philosophers had made us more self-conscious about categories. Teamwork!