Sure. It has of course been the case that careful increases in generality have also led to increases in power (hence the weasel word “usually”). There is something like a “production-possibilities frontier” relating generality and power, and some concepts are near the frontier (and so one can’t generalize them without losing some power) while some are not.
Sure. It has of course been the case that careful increases in generality have also led to increases in power (hence the weasel word “usually”). There is something like a “production-possibilities frontier” relating generality and power, and some concepts are near the frontier (and so one can’t generalize them without losing some power) while some are not.