Family Resemblance Theory

Family Resemblance Theory suggests that categories or concepts don't rely on a single defining feature, but rather on a network of overlapping similarities among members. For example, different birds may share features like wings, feathers, or ability to fly, but no single feature is common to all. Instead, members of the category resemble each other in various ways, creating a kind of family resemblance. This approach explains why things can belong to the same category even if they don't share a specific set of features, emphasizing the fluid and interconnected nature of how we categorize concepts.