Species: the evolution of the idea. (2018) CRC Press, p. 345.
“
[Species] obey, and when they occur are post hoc explained by the biology of populations, interbreeding, selection, drift, and so on, but they are not theoretical objects, any more than planetary orbits are in physics. Species occur, and are explicable in a multiplicity of ways, but they do not follow formally from any theory of biology.
— John S. Wilkins
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "[Species] obey, and when they occur are post hoc explained by the biology of populations, interbreeding, selection, drift, and so on, but they are not theoretical objects, any more than planetary orbits are in physics. Species occur, and are explicable in a multiplicity of ways, but they do not follow formally from any theory of biology." in the context of "Species: the evolution of the idea. (2018) CRC Press, p. 345." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "John S. Wilkins" (Quotes)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About John S. Wilkins
Dr John S. Wilkins works in the fields of history and philosophy of science, focusing on evolution, systematics and the concept of species. He also works on the cognitive science of religion. He gained his PhD from the University of Melbourne in 2004, and has taught at the Universities of Queensland, Sydney, NSW and Melbourne.
About John S. Wilkins
Dr John S. Wilkins works in the fields of history and philosophy of science, focusing on evolution, systematics and the concept of species. He also works on the cognitive science of religion. He gained his PhD from the University of Melbourne in 2004, and has taught at the Universities of Queensland, Sydney, NSW and Melbourne.
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