--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: \"Tiger is a natural kind\" and \"Tiger is a…" description: "\"\"Tiger is a natural kind\" and \"Tiger is a historical particular\" are incompatible with each other, and evolutionary biology provides a reason for favor..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/elliott-sober-13087_biology_tiger-is-a-natural-kind-and-tiger-is-a-h_3204914.jpg" --- # "Tiger is a natural kind" and "Tiger is a historical… ![“"Tiger is a natural kind" and "Tiger is a historical particular" are incompatible with each other, and evolutionary biology provides a reason for favoring the latter over the former.” quote by Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/elliott-sober-13087_biology_tiger-is-a-natural-kind-and-tiger-is-a-h_3204914.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/elliott-sober-13087_biology_tiger-is-a-natural-kind-and-tiger-is-a-h_3204914.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/elliott-sober-13087_biology_tiger-is-a-natural-kind-and-tiger-is-a-h_3204914.jpg) > “"Tiger is a natural kind" and "Tiger is a historical particular" are incompatible with each other, and evolutionary biology provides a reason for favoring the latter over the former.” [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that viewing tigers as historical individuals is more scientifically useful than treating them as timeless natural kinds. **In simple terms:** Treat tigers as specific, evolving entities rather than fixed categories. Key Takeaway Prefer the historical view for biological study. Themes biology ontology evolution philosophy Mood analytical thoughtful Type theoretical academic When to use this quote - research - education - policy making - conservation planning Key Concepts natural kinds historical particulars species concepts Questions to Reflect On - How does categorizing organisms affect scientific research? - What are the implications for conservation? A Different Perspective The historical view may overlook shared traits useful for broader classification. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Biology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biology/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Evolutionary biology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolutionary-biology/) [Historical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historical/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Tiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tiger/) [Tigers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tigers/) ## Related quotes > [The evolution of sex is the hardest problem in evolutionary biology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-smith/the-evolution-of-sex-is-the-hardest-problem-in-evolutionary-biology/) [John Maynard Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-smith/) > [Evolutionary biology is now uttering and seeking those forces that link us with all those that have being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-forsyth/evolutionary-biology-is-now-uttering-and-seeking-those-forces-that/) Adrian Forsyth > [“In science's pecking order, evolutionary biology lurks somewhere near the bottom, far closer to phrenology than to physics. For evolutionary biology is a historical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-a-coyne/in-science-s-pecking-order-evolutionary-biology-lurks-somewhere-near/) [Jerry A. Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-a-coyne/) > [“The great value of the Darwinian evolutionary paradigm is the way it helps us understand how what once was "noise" (e.g., unselected-uncorrelated variation) can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-deacon/the-great-value-of-the-darwinian-evolutionary-paradigm-is-the-way-it/) Terrence Deacon > [Evolutionary biology is crazy because sometimes it seems anybody can draw any conclusion they want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/evolutionary-biology-is-crazy-because-sometimes-it-seems-anybody-can/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [“What I should have said is that he thinks that there is a conflict between evolutionary biology and theism. Dennett thinks that evolutionary theory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/what-i-should-have-said-is-that-he-thinks-that-there-is-a-conflict/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [I disagree with those who argue that evolutionary biology and the existence of God are incompatible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/i-disagree-with-those-who-argue-that-evolutionary-biology-and-the/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [I don't endorse deism or interventionist theism. My point is just that evolutionary biology is logically compatible with the former and with some versions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/i-don-t-endorse-deism-or-interventionist-theism-my-point-is-just-that/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [This is not to deny that there are versions of theism that do conflict with evolutionary biology. Young Earth Creationism is an example; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/this-is-not-to-deny-that-there-are-versions-of-theism-that-do/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [The big picture, I think, is that common ancestry is evidentially prior to natural selection in Darwin's theory and in contemporary evolutionary biology as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/the-big-picture-i-think-is-that-common-ancestry-is-evidentially-prior/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > ["Methodological naturalism" and "metaphysical naturalism" are terms that often surface in the continuing battle between evolutionary biology and creationism/intelligent design. The methodological thesis says…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/methodological-naturalism-and-metaphysical-naturalism-are-terms-that/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [Deism is compatible with evolutionary theory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/deism-is-compatible-with-evolutionary-theory/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [“There is no off switch on a tiger.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/german-proverb/there-is-no-off-switch-on-a-tiger/) German Proverb > [Animal totems, like the tiger, come from the Other Side to protect us while we are away from Home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-browne/animal-totems-like-the-tiger-come-from-the-other-side-to-protect-us/) [Sylvia Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-browne/) > [O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-tiger-s-heart-wrapped-in-a-woman-s-hide/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## More by Elliott Sober > [From the fact that E is evidence for T and the fact that T entails M, it doesn't follow that E is evidence for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/from-the-fact-that-e-is-evidence-for-t-and-the-fact-that-t-entails-m/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [Evolutionary game theory was originally developed as an alternative to the hypothesis of group selection; now it is clear that game theory models postulate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/evolutionary-game-theory-was-originally-developed-as-an-alternative/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [Earlier attempts to show that simpler theories always have higher prior probabilities have failed, but there is a restricted circumstance in which the claim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/earlier-attempts-to-show-that-simpler-theories-always-have-higher/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > ["Methodological naturalism" and "metaphysical naturalism" are terms that often surface in the continuing battle between evolutionary biology and creationism/intelligent design. The methodological thesis says…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/methodological-naturalism-and-metaphysical-naturalism-are-terms-that/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [The big picture, I think, is that common ancestry is evidentially prior to natural selection in Darwin's theory and in contemporary evolutionary biology as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/the-big-picture-i-think-is-that-common-ancestry-is-evidentially-prior/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [This is not to deny that there are versions of theism that do conflict with evolutionary biology. Young Earth Creationism is an example; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/this-is-not-to-deny-that-there-are-versions-of-theism-that-do/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [Some philosophical arguments (e.g., in connection with the mind/body problem) look pretty good, while others (e.g., those that criticize moral realism) do not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/some-philosophical-arguments-e-g-in-connection-with-the-mind-body/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [I have spent a lot of time arguing that the theory of group selection is not the stupid, pernicious doctrine that many biologists once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/i-have-spent-a-lot-of-time-arguing-that-the-theory-of-group-selection/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [Deism is compatible with evolutionary theory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/deism-is-compatible-with-evolutionary-theory/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > ["Simpler is always better" is an overstatement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/simpler-is-always-better-is-an-overstatement/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [Group selection and individual selection are just two of the selection processes that have played important roles in evolution. There also is selection within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/group-selection-and-individual-selection-are-just-two-of-the/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [Instead of thinking of the question of race genealogically, and leaving it open whether vernacular races are genealogical units, the interest in biomedicine has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/instead-of-thinking-of-the-question-of-race-genealogically-and/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [If the organisms in a species now have trait T, and this trait now helps those organisms to survive and reproduce because the trait…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/if-the-organisms-in-a-species-now-have-trait-t-and-this-trait-now/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [Another way to test hypotheses about adaptation is to consider trait variation across a group of species instead of focusing on the trait of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/another-way-to-test-hypotheses-about-adaptation-is-to-consider-trait/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [Evolutionary theory, properly understood, does not conflict with the idea that God occasionally intervenes in nature - for example, by once or twice causing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/evolutionary-theory-properly-understood-does-not-conflict-with-the/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) [Explore all 52 Elliott Sober quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) ## More Biology quotes > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [“Genetics is a science full of gods, Mr. Sanchez.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valeria-luiselli/genetics-is-a-science-full-of-gods-mr-sanchez/) [Valeria Luiselli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valeria-luiselli/) > [We became Homo sapiens not that long ago, from the scientific perspective, and we've retained a lot of our beast nature. We've done all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangechi-mutu/we-became-homo-sapiens-not-that-long-ago-from-the-scientific/) [Wangechi Mutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangechi-mutu/) > [Evolution happens in jumps, very rapidly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/evolution-happens-in-jumps-very-rapidly/) [Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/) > [“Toshiaki learned that all living organisms were governed by their DNA. He was impressed by perfection of this system.Why did existence have the ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideaki-sena/toshiaki-learned-that-all-living-organisms-were-governed-by-their-dna/) Hideaki Sena > [I'm all about evolution. I'm the first person to judge myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-weeknd/i-m-all-about-evolution-i-m-the-first-person-to-judge-myself/) [The Weeknd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-weeknd/) > [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [I think the ethics and morals of genetic engineering are very complicated. It intrigues me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-spottiswoode/i-think-the-ethics-and-morals-of-genetic-engineering-are-very/) [Roger Spottiswoode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-spottiswoode/) > [Biochemists and biologists who adhere blindly to the Darwinism theory search for results that will be in agreement with their theories and consequently orient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-paul-grasse/biochemists-and-biologists-who-adhere-blindly-to-the-darwinism-theory/) [Pierre-Paul Grasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-paul-grasse/) > [“A note of caution: epigenetics is also on the verge of transforming into a dangerous idea. Epigenetic modifications of genes can potentially superpose historical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/a-note-of-caution-epigenetics-is-also-on-the-verge-of-transforming/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [Natural history is not taught in seminary. This is curious, as most people in pastoral ministry are about 567 times more likely to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-maitland/natural-history-is-not-taught-in-seminary-this-is-curious-as-most/) [Sara Maitland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-maitland/) > [We are coming to a place where the road ends. From here on out, we will be making the road as we walk it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-atlee/we-are-coming-to-a-place-where-the-road-ends-from-here-on-out-we-will/) Tom Atlee > [I've always been interested in medicine and was pleased when my brother became a doctor. But after thinking seriously about that field, I realized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-medicine-and-was-pleased-when-my/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [Evolution... is the most powerful and the most comprehensive idea that has ever arisen on Earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-huxley/evolution-is-the-most-powerful-and-the-most-comprehensive-idea-that/) [Julian Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-huxley/) > [History employs evolution to structure biological events in time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/history-employs-evolution-to-structure-biological-events-in-time/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) [Browse all 3,034 Biology quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biology/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "\"Tiger is a natural kind\" and \"Tiger is a historical particular\" are incompatible with each other, and evolutionary biology provides a reason for favoring the latter over the former.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elliott Sober" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/tiger-is-a-natural-kind-and-tiger-is-a-historical-particular-are/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Biology" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/tiger-is-a-natural-kind-and-tiger-is-a-historical-particular-are/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/elliott-sober-13087_biology_tiger-is-a-natural-kind-and-tiger-is-a-h_3204914.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/elliott-sober-13087_biology_tiger-is-a-natural-kind-and-tiger-is-a-h_3204914.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/elliott-sober-13087_biology_tiger-is-a-natural-kind-and-tiger-is-a-h_3204914.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“\"Tiger is a natural kind\" and \"Tiger is a historical particular\" are incompatible with each other, and…” — Elliott Sober", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Elliott Sober", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "\"Tiger is a natural kind\" and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/tiger-is-a-natural-kind-and-tiger-is-a-historical-particular-are/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/tiger-is-a-natural-kind-and-tiger-is-a-historical-particular-are/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```