Why the Presence of Catalysts in Chemical Kinetics Calls for a Reconsideration of Natural Kinds as Dynamic Process-Oriented Epistemic Tools

The current mantra regarding scientific naturalism about natural kinds has centered on the methodological and axiological successes of acquiring knowledge using the resources found in the natural sciences. The methodological components of scientific naturalism are primarily concerned with how to conduct inquiry, along with how certain rules function within systems of knowledge. Note, however, that these rules are not established a priori. Rather, these rules that guide inquiry, action, and choice are established in terms of empirical adequacy. The axiological components of scientific naturalism focus on the changes in aims in the natural sciences and by extension epistemology, as fundamentally context-sensitive and domain-specific endeavors. That is, axiology in scientific naturalism rests on the assumption that the mechanisms that guide changes in aims in the natural sciences are no different from the mechanisms that guide changes in aims relative to epistemology.