The complex idea of 'species' has evolved over time, yet its meaning is far from resolved. This comprehensive work takes a fresh look at an idea central to the field of biology by tracing its history since antiquity. It explores the essentialist view, a staple of logic from Plato and Aristotle through the Middle Ages to fairly recent times.
"It is difficult to find anything to dislike about Wilkins's study. The breadth of the work is staggering, and the amount of research that went into its discussion of every major intellectual figure and conceptual player in the species debates from Plato onward is readily apparent at every turn."
