Concepts and Classification

Abstract

Science, like philosophy, is conceptual, i.e., scientific statements are made through the use of concepts. Since concepts are so basic to any scientific statement, it is important to be aware of what a concept is and what it is not. A concept is an abstraction. What do we do when we abstract? We separate certain feature (s) from the welter of our direct (immediate) experience (Langer 1964, p. 66). The verb “to abstract” is etymologically derived from the latin ‘ab-trahere’ which literally means ‘to draw away.’ Thus, in forming a concept through abstraction we separate feature(s) and this selective separation of feature(s) constitutes the concept. For example, in forming the concept of a constellation of stars such as the Orion we select a number of stars, particularly seven principal ones in the well-known arrangement. The features that are selected in this instance are individual stars. This shows that what is selected is in nature. However, the selection is our own doing, i.e., our abstraction. It is evident that, given the whole world or even the smallest part of it, there is a multitude of possibilities for the selection of feature(s) and consequently for the formation of concepts.

“Nothing could be further from the truth than that there is complete correspondence of structure between all experience and all language, or even any limited aspects of language and experience”

(Bridgman 1936, p. 23).

“Basically, everything is one”

(Barbara McClintock, quoted by Keller 1983, p. 204).