Re: Philidor: No Class (was RE: Avian stem-group (was: BCF))

[philidor11@snet.net]

If you've wondered whence Philidor, it's because of a remark 
of his.  I found a paraphrase:

http://mark_weeks.tripod.com/chw01k01/philidor.htm


Francois-Andre Danican Philidor (1726-1795) 

Although Philidor was the greatest chess player of his time, 
he professed to be just a musical composer (of which he was great 
in his day), because chess was not fully understood by the masses. 

...
At 23, 433 copies of his book [L'analyze des Eschecs (Analysis 
of Chess)] were published in London, England. It was the first 
chess book translated into Russian, and was one of the favorite 
books of Thomas Jefferson. This was the first chess book that 
organized the chess openings [into a classification system].

The name was thus selected in honor of the originator of my favorite 
opening (Philidor's Defense) who also knew the significance of 
public acceptance.

The quote from Jefferson has the same significance:

<Linnaeus' method was liable to this objection so far as it required 
the aid of anatomical dissection, as of the heart, for instance, 
to ascertain the place of any animal, or of a chemical process 
for that of a mineral substance. It would certainly be better 
to adopt as much as possible such exterior and visible characteristics 
as every traveller is competent to observe, to ascertain and 
to relate.>

Even accuracy (or Philidor's great skill at chess) has to be 
restricted based on a due consideration for public acceptance. 
 In prior sections, Jefferson noted that Linnaeus had achieved 
the miracle of obtaining universal acceptance from the public 
and from scientists for his systematic approach.  If scientists 
were to determine a different approach to be better for their 
purpose, then despite the brilliance of their work the resulting 
'schism' would be unfortunate.

Note that the subject here is not fact, but organization of material, 
arbitrary in the sense of a choice among options.  The principle 
behind my facetiousness is simple:
Subjectivity supported by facts and experts remains forever subjective.

The Linnaean system starts from the present, the effect if you 
like, and incorporates history, the cause.  The visibility of 
difference at present compels the valuable acceptance the Linnaean 
system receives.  The choice to be resolved is which is more 
important, cause or effect, and I'd agree with Jefferson that 
the effect is more important because of the acceptance it receives.

So, your title is correct:  No Class, because any difference 
between the Class of scientists and the Class of everyone else 
should be submerged when the opportunity to do so is available. 
 In this case, the choice is available because classification 
systems are subjectively derived.

And, by the way, the acceptance of the idea that dinosaurs are 
not reptiles and that birds descended from dinosaurs are two 
of the greatest paleontological achievements ever.  Don't knock 
it.  Gee.



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