the 14 different types of animals

while we are on the subject of odd systems of classification, we should visit jorge luis borges’ bizarre taxonomic scheme in “the analytical language of john wilkins.” here, borges cites a fictional chinese encyclopedia which divides all animals into the following categories*:

(a) those that belong to the emperor
(b) embalmed ones
(c) those that are trained
(d) suckling pigs
(e) mermaids
(f) fabulous ones
(g) stray dogs
(h) those that are included in this classification
(i) those that tremble as if they were mad
(j) innumerable ones
(k) those drawn with a very fine camel’s-hair brush
(l) etcetera
(m) those that have just broken the flower vase
(n) those that at a distance resemble flies

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*if this post were a pop-up video, the following bubble would now pop into place: mad philosopher, michel foucault credited this passage as the impetus for his book the order of things.