ABSTRACT
But what are the reasons that make classification so ubiquitous and important? One of the most immediate benefits of classifying things is that each obtained class usually subsumes and emphasizes some of the main general properties shared by its elements. For instance, all items in the clothes section of any store will have some value for dressing, even if they are completely different as far as other properties, such as color, are concerned. Such a property can be more effectively explored through hierarchical classification schemes, such as those commonly considered for species taxonomy: we humans, for instance, are first living beings, then animals, mammals and primates, as illustrated in Figure 8.1.
