No Grist for Mill on Natural Kinds

• Main Author: P.D. Magnus
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MULPress 2014-01-01
• Series: Journal for the History of Analytical Philosophy
• Online Access: https://jhaponline.org/jhap/article/view/35

According to the standard narrative, natural kind is a technical notion that was introduced by John Stuart Mill in the 1840s and the recent craze for natural kinds, launched by Putnam and Kripke, is a continuation of that tradition. I argue that the standard narrative is mistaken. The Millian tradition of kinds was not particularly influential in the 20th century, and the Putnam-Kripke revolution did not clearly engage with even the remnants that were left of it. The presently active tradition of natural kinds is less than half a century old. Recognizing this might help us better appreciate both Mill and natural kinds.