The good systematist develops what the medieval philosophers called a habitus, which is more than a habit and is better designated by its other name of secunda natura. Perhaps, like a tennis player or a musician, he works best when he does not get too introspective about what he is doing.


The Philosophical Foundation of Systematics, Canadian Entomology, Volume 84, 1952 (p. 5)

William Robin Thompson Quotes

The good systematist develops what the medieval philosophers called a habitus, which is more than a habit and is better designated by its other name...

The good systematist develops what the medieval philosophers called a habitus, which is more than a habit and is better designated by its other name...

The good systematist develops what the medieval philosophers called a habitus, which is more than a habit and is better designated by its other name...

The good systematist develops what the medieval philosophers called a habitus, which is more than a habit and is better designated by its other name...