måndag 23 juli 2012

Cladists have really stuck in an infinite loop

The fact that classification is orthogonal, ie, that every single class contains at least two classes, means that it has to be arranged orthogonally, ie, classifying entities into categories of classes, as in the Linnean system, to avoid the inherent contradiction of an orthogonality (see Russell's paradox).

However, such orthogonal system of classification is ambiguous in relation to the classified per definition, since it actually consists of two orthogonal classifications.

The approach in biological systematics called "cladistics" simply ignores this fact (ie, that classification is orthogonal) instead entering the inherent contradiction of an orthogonality (see Russell's paradox) while asserting (actually defining) that it, ie, the contradiction, indeed is real (ie, can be found). In this approach, ie, assuming that the contradiction is real, it is actually an infinite recursion, ie, an infinite loop. But, how can cladists possibly understand that they have entered an infinite loop when they don't understand that classification is orthogonal in the first place (actually not even that they classify)? No, they have indeed stuck in this infinite loop.

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