David S. Oderberg 
Classifying Reality [PDF ebook] 

Distinguished metaphysicians examine issues central to the high-profile debate between philosophers over how to classify the natural world, and discuss issues in applied ontology such as the classification of diseases.

* Leading metaphysicians explore fundamental questions related to the classification and structure of the natural world

* An essential commentary on issues at the heart of the contemporary debate between philosophy and science

* Interweaves discussion of overarching themes with detailed material on applied ontology

Table of Content

Notes on Contributors vii

Introduction 1

1 Categorial Predication 5

E. J. Lowe

2 Nature’s Joints: A Realistic Defence of Natural
Properties 23

D. H. Mellor

3 Boundaries in Reality 41

Tuomas E. Tahko

4 Contrastive Explanations in Evolutionary Biology 61

Stephen Boulter

5 Animate Beings: Their Nature and Identity 79

Gary S. Rosenkrantz

6 Classifying Processes: An Essay in Applied Ontology 101

Barry Smith

Index 127

About the author

David S. Oderberg is Professor of Philosophy at the
University of Reading, UK. He is the author or editor of several
books in metaphysics and moral philosophy, and has contributed
numerous journal articles on metaphysics, moral philosophy,
philosophy of religion, philosophy of science, and other topics.
Professor Oderberg’s texts on Moral
Theory and Applied Ethics were both
published by Blackwell in 2000, while his most recent
book, Real Essentialism (2007), sets out a
neo-Aristotelian system of metaphysics.