The ontology of natural kinds as the grounds for explanatory generalizations in the life sciences

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Thomas A.C. Reydon
• Subject Area: Theoretical Philosophy
• Term: from 2005 to 2008
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 18470442

All scientific disciplines ¿ except possibly some disciplines in the historical sciences ¿ classify their subject matter into kinds of things (material entities, phenomena, processes, etc.), with the purpose of establishing empirical generalizations over these kinds that in turn can serve as the bases for scientific explanations and predictions. In the philosophy of science, such classificatory practices are commonly understood as pertaining to natural kinds, that is, kinds of natural things among which a substantial similarity exists. Although philosophers of science have long been searching for a general philosophical theory of natural kinds that can serve to ground the practice of classification and empirical generalization in all domains of natural science, at present such a theory is still lacking. The principal aim of the proposed research project is to contribute to the development of such a philosophical theory that can provide an ontological foundation for classificatory practices in the contemporary life sciences. Focus lies on the life sciences, because it is particularly in this domain of natural science that traditional essentialist theories of natural kinds confront severe problems. As a consequence of this failure of traditional theories, in the past decade or so a number of philosophers of science have begun to explore the possibility of an alternative conception of natural kinds that breaks with the philosophical tradition. So far, however, this work has not yet resulted in a general ontology of natural kinds that can provide a solid basis for explanation and prediction in the life sciences. The proposed project follows this new line of work in the philosophy of science with the intention of providing just such a basis and ¿ once it is obtained ¿ assessing its implications for how we are to understand the nature of science.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants