Single Idea 14504

[catalogued under 26. Natural Theory / B. Natural Kinds / 1. Natural Kinds]

Full Idea

Theoretical terms such as 'mass', 'force', 'motion', 'species' and 'phlogiston' seem to indicate that the Kripke/Putnam approach to natural kind terms is committed to an excessive amount of stability in the meaning and reference of such expressions.

Gist of Idea

The Kripke/Putnam approach to natural kind terms seems to give them excessive stability

Source

Kathrin Koslicki (The Structure of Objects [2008], 8.6.2)

Book Reference

Koslicki,Kathrin: 'The Structure of Objects' [OUP 2008], p.231


A Reaction

This sounds right to me. The notion of 'rigid' designation gives a nice framework for modal logic, but it doesn't seem to fit the shifting patterns of scientific thought.