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Abstract <p>This article considered the species problem in biology, shaped by the <i>species pluralism</i>, within the framework of contemporary conceptual philosophy of science. It was shown that the species notion has initially been polysemous, whereas its historical development involved the reduction of its ambiguity and led to its strictly biological interpretation (<i>biologization</i>). The Darwinian microevolutionary model gave rise to the so-called <i>species question</i> (species–infraspecies uncertainty), while its emphasis on the ecological mechanisms of both the origin and persistence of the species provided the prerequisites for the contemporary <i>species problem</i>. The latter resulted from the revealing of the diversity of such mechanisms among different groups of organisms, which entailed the recognition of respective variety of distinct ‘kinds of species.’ The author’s version of biologically meaningful and rationally consistent conceptualization of the species problem was outlined. The latter was based on the construction of a hierarchical conceptual pyramid, within which the particular species conceptions could be defined deductively. Proceeding from the ideas of ‘new essentialism,’ the significance of the notion of <i>evolving</i> <i>specieshood</i> as a hypothetical species quiddity was emphasized, which was interpreted as an integral part of the organismal natural history. Its evolution has begun with the least structured ‘pre-species’ diversity, proceeded with the emergence of weakly integrated <i>quasi</i>- or <i>pseudospecies</i>, and culminated in highly integrated <i>euspecies</i>. The diverse realizations of specieshood implied a possibility for the ‘kinds of species’ to be interpreted as particular ‘modes of being’ of <i>biospecies</i> in its most general meaning, which were assumed to be endowed with peculiar ontic statuses (natural kind, homeostatic property cluster, quasi-individual). The multiplicity of ‘kinds of species’ should be regarded as a real natural phenomenon resulting from the irreducible diversity of specieshood realizations. It was concluded that both the species notion and species problem deserve to be given their rightful place in the overall conceptual framework of biological science.</p>

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The Species Problem in Biology Is More Relevant Today Than Ever Before

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月1日

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  • I. Ya. Pavlinov

摘要

Abstract

This article considered the species problem in biology, shaped by the species pluralism, within the framework of contemporary conceptual philosophy of science. It was shown that the species notion has initially been polysemous, whereas its historical development involved the reduction of its ambiguity and led to its strictly biological interpretation (biologization). The Darwinian microevolutionary model gave rise to the so-called species question (species–infraspecies uncertainty), while its emphasis on the ecological mechanisms of both the origin and persistence of the species provided the prerequisites for the contemporary species problem. The latter resulted from the revealing of the diversity of such mechanisms among different groups of organisms, which entailed the recognition of respective variety of distinct ‘kinds of species.’ The author’s version of biologically meaningful and rationally consistent conceptualization of the species problem was outlined. The latter was based on the construction of a hierarchical conceptual pyramid, within which the particular species conceptions could be defined deductively. Proceeding from the ideas of ‘new essentialism,’ the significance of the notion of evolving specieshood as a hypothetical species quiddity was emphasized, which was interpreted as an integral part of the organismal natural history. Its evolution has begun with the least structured ‘pre-species’ diversity, proceeded with the emergence of weakly integrated quasi- or pseudospecies, and culminated in highly integrated euspecies. The diverse realizations of specieshood implied a possibility for the ‘kinds of species’ to be interpreted as particular ‘modes of being’ of biospecies in its most general meaning, which were assumed to be endowed with peculiar ontic statuses (natural kind, homeostatic property cluster, quasi-individual). The multiplicity of ‘kinds of species’ should be regarded as a real natural phenomenon resulting from the irreducible diversity of specieshood realizations. It was concluded that both the species notion and species problem deserve to be given their rightful place in the overall conceptual framework of biological science.