On balancing between objectivity and belief, particularly in biological classification
There is no absolute truth, thus neither a True Tree of Life, because if there was, then it would be contradictory. Our problem (in discussing reality) is instead to balance between strict objectivity and belief, whereof none is useful without the other. This we do by using statistics.
Carl von Linné found the system that keeps this balance in classification of hierarchical relationships (also used in evolutionary taxonomy), whereas Willi Hennig fell into the side of belief (where every possible solution thus is contradictory). Linné believed in God, whereas Hennig believed in classification.
(Evolution isn’t a matter of belief, just as change isn’t, but of understanding, which Darwin understood).
Another contribution to understanding of conceptualization http://menvall.wordpress.com/
Read more at Menvall’s Blog: change on different levels
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