Proposal
The taxonomic concept of cognitum (pl., cognita) is introduced to study design among baramins and to relieve other taxonomic concepts (e.g. holobaramin, baramin, basic type) concepts from considerations that may hinder their development. The cognitum is defined as a group of organisms recognized through the human cognitive senses as belonging together and sharing an underlying, unifying gestalt. This concept recognizes the importance of human neuro-cognitive processes in classification. It also implies that, at creation, organisms were endued with characteristics that elicit a unique, divinely-created psychological response in humans and that, after the Flood, the descendant species of the surviving representatives of the baramins retained these specially created characteristics. The cognitum affords research into the relative contribution by objective biosystematic techniques and neuro-cognitive phenomena to the study of biological design and classification. It also promises to clarify current problems in singly nested hierarchies, conflicting characters (homoplasy), fuzzy boundaries of groups, and unplaced taxa. Through its use in the study of biological phenomena, criteria that have been or might be proposed for baramins can be evaluated independently.
Keywords
Cognitum, cognita, classification, biosystematics, baramin, holobaramin, created kind, taxonomic concept, biosystematic concept, cognitive sciences, fuzzy group
Print Reference
Pages 445-456
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Recommended Citation
Sanders, Roger and Wise, Kurt P.
(2003)
"The Cognitum: A Perception-Dependent Concept Needed in Baraminology,"
Proceedings of the International Conference on Creationism: Vol. 5, Article 39.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/icc_proceedings/vol5/iss1/39