genericism

Genericism is a term used across disciplines to signal an emphasis on generic forms, kinds, or statements—those that describe a class or kind rather than specific individuals. The word "generic" is common in logic, linguistics, philosophy, and cognitive science, and "genericism" is used to discuss how such general expressions are formed, interpreted, and function in reasoning.

In semantics and philosophy of language, generic statements such as "Dogs bark" or "Birds migrate" express properties of a kind rather than of all its members. Generics differ from universal quantifications: they can be true even when many members do not have the property, and they are sensitive to context, typicality, and default assumptions. The study of generics addresses truth-conditions, scope, and how different languages encode generics.

In metaphysics and philosophy of science, genericism relates to the analysis of kinds or natural kinds and how humans carve the world into categories. Some accounts treat kinds as mind-independent realities, while others view them as social constructs or pragmatic groupings. The generic approach contrasts with more particularist or essentialist theories about categories and properties.

In cognitive science and linguistics, genericism examines how people reason about kinds, how generics influence expectations about category members, and how cross-linguistic variation affects the expression and interpretation of generics. Critics point to the vagueness of generics and to the variability of their interpretation across contexts and languages.