Comments on Murphy’s ‘Classification and Its Alternatives’

Abstract

Professor Murphy’s paper is a series of reflections that converge on a complicated moral, a cautionary tale that any scientist, but especially the physicians, ought to take to heart. When he explicitly draws the moral, however, he shows a certain degree of diffidence. He warns us (p. 80) that his views admittedly sound disillusioning and even pessimistic; and that he blushes ([1], p. 82) at the necessity of making a point that must seem obvious, especially to philosophers.