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Paul Grobstein's picture

an erotics of classification?

Submitted by Paul Grobstein on Fri, 08/28/2009 - 1:41pm.

Reviving the lost art of naming the world (NYTimes 10 August 2009)

"sorting and naming the natural world is a universal, deep-seated and fundamental human activity, one we cannot afford to lose because it is essential to understanding the living world, and our place in it.

find an organism, any organism ... and get a sense of it, its shape, color, size, feel, smell, sound ... meditate, luxuriate in its beetle-ness, its daffodility. Then find a name for it ... To do so is to change everything, including yourself ... once you start noticing organisms, once you have a name for particular beasts, birds and flowers, you can’t help seeing life and the order in it, just where it has always been, all around you."

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