| Lemma | categorization |
|---|---|
| Categoria grammaticale | N |
| Lingua | inglese |
| Sigla | Lakoff (1987) |
| Titolo | Women, Fire, and Dangerous Things |
| Sinonimi | |
| Rinvii | |
| Traduzioni | |
| Citazioni | We have folk theory of categorization itself. It says that things come in well-defined kinds, that the kinds are characterized by shared properties, and that there is one right taxonomy of the kinds. Above all, objectivity requires a proper understanding of human categorization, since one always assesses situations in terms of human categorization. And human categorization [...] is based, in part, on the nature of human bodies. Categorization phenomena are in conflict with a mind-as-machine paradigm that insists on a separate, independent, disembodied, and algorithmic character of mind. The conflicts are as follows:
- The disembodied mind position is in conflict with embodiment of content:
a) basic-level perception, motor movement, and imaging capacities that jointly characterize basic-level concepts [...];
b) general experiential structures that determine the character of kinesthetic image schemas [...]; and
c) experiences that form the basis of metaphorical concepts. Categorization is a form of reason. To say that classical categories exist external to any beings or any minds is to claim that there is a transcendent logic of the universe, a rationality that transcends any being or any mind. Classical categorization and classical logic are two sides of the same coin. Most of the subject matter of classical logic is categorization. In the classical theory [of categorization], you have two choices for characterizing set membership: you can predict the members (by precise necessary and sufficient conditions, or by rule) or you can arbitrarily list them, if there is a finite list. The only choices are predictability (using rules or necessary and sufficient conditions) and arbitrariness (giving a list). But in a theory of natural categorization, the concept of motivation is available. Cases that are fully motivated are predictable and those that are totally unmotivated are arbitrary. But most cases fall in between-they are partly motivated. |