Systematics fundamentalism, or cladism

Systematics (classification, or conceptualization) is traditionally a tool science uses to discuss reality. Its construction, using classes of classes, or concepts of concepts, means that it lacks an unambiguous single solution, since all single classes (or concepts) are two classes (or concepts) at the same time per definition, and that any single object thus is a member of at least two incongruent classes at the same time per definition. 

Now, there are people that don’t understand the basis for systematization, i.e., classification, or conceptualization, but instead believe that there is a single unambiguous classification to be found. Contrary to scientists, they believe that reality is made up of classes of objects, instead of understanding that it is us that classify reality. They believe that classes actually exist in reality, instead of objects. They commonly don’t understand that both classes and objects can’t exist at the same time, but, on the contrary, assume that they not only can, but do. The explanation for this inconsistent approach is that these people think that they don’t classify anything, but only accept a “natural” contradiction. They think that systematization is a matter of accepting a “natural” contradiction. Their problem is thus to explain away the internal (“natural”) contradiction of their approach. This problem is, however, impossible to solve, since this “natural” contradiction is a definitional contradiction. It is simply their own contradiction in classifying reality. They can’t escape their own contradiction.

Their belief that classes exist may be called systematics fundamentalism, but is already called cladism. It is a belief that classification itself may be a science. The worst problem with this belief is that its acceptance of it in practice denies the approach that denies inconsistency, that is, science. Accepting it as a science does thus require a denial of science. It is thus not only inconsistent, but also requires denial of consistency.

The strongest proponent of this fundamentalism presently is Malte Ebach. He has even installed a watch on his blog against science in biological systematics that he calls “paraphyly watch”, and in which he attacks all scientific approaches to biological problems. He aggressively attacks  science just like Gareth Nelson, Steve Farris and Jim Carpenter did before him. They all participate in cladism’s war against science that John Wilkins called the class war. The systematics fundamentalists within biological systematics have thus come to the conclusion that it is time to confront science. Unfortunately, a single cladist mind does not agree with itself. Its ghost resides in itself as what it calls phentics, not realizing that its actual enemy is science. Cladism’s ”class war” is a triple battle between two specifics and their generic, whereof none can be denied. There is thus nothing in this war that cladism can deny. The war is a war inside of classification; it is impossible to deny a part of classification.