CHOICE OF SCHEME FOR CLASSIFICATION - Indian Statistical ...

consequent increase in the rate of emergence of new Compound Subjects in the Universe
of Subjects. The average rate is perhaps as much as three per day.
6.1.4 Effect of High Rate of Emergence
The high rate of emergence of new subjects throws a challenge to the
classificationist. To begin with, the challenge is in the Idea Plane. The problem is to find
a helpful place in the sequence of the already existing millions of subjects, for a thousand
new subjects emerging each year. Surely, mere flair cannot meet this challenge. Not
even the greatest amount of intuition available among the intellectuals can meet this
challenge. The notational system, devised by mere flair or even some slight intuition
with the limited experience of the nineteenth century, cannot have the versatility
necessary to implement the findings of the Idea Plane. The inadequacy of mere flair and
slight intuition to meet the tremendous onslaught created by the increasing turbulence of the
Universe of Subjects cannot any longer be overlooked.
6.1.5 Challenge to the Intellect
The challenge created by the high rate of emergence of subjects can only be met
intellectually. In the Idea Plane, we come back to what has already been stated more than
once. The work in the Idea Plane should be guided objectively by helpful postulates and
principles. The versatility of the Notational Plane will also have to be steadily increased
objectively with the help of a mechanism or device available for use. In this, the province
for flair and intuition lies largely in the formulation of postulates and principles for the
Idea Plane and their steady improvement. In the Notational Plane, their province is restricted
to hitting upon new devices for increasing the versatility of the Notational Plane.
The result of the turbulent proliferations in the Universe of Subjects is that we want,
in reality, a self-perpetuating Scheme for Classification. The self-perpetuation should be
possible at least for a few generations, before need arises for changing over to another
scheme with a greater power for self-perpetuation and basically more in keeping with the
then state of the Universe of Subjects. This implies that there should be a steady growth
in the Scheme for Classification.
6.1.6 Static Stability
It may also happen that newly emerging subjects throw new light in regard to
helpfulness of sequence among the older subjects. This may lead to rearrangement of
subjects, to the assignment of new Class Numbers to some subjects, and to the promotion
of some Compound Subjects to the status of a Basic Subject as it is happening today in the
case of new inter-disciplinary eruptions, such as Biophysics, Biochemistry, and Geophysics.
Even those who deny the need for a scheme for the depth classification of Micro Subjects,
such as the one needed in documentation work, should not get away with the impression
that they can preserve their schemes for the classification even of books alone free from
change. For, they should remember that the promotion of the Micro Subjects of today to
the status of a Macro Subject of tomorrow is now becoming more frequent than in the
first half of the present century. The books embodying Macro Subjects, created by such a
promotion from time to time, cannot always be given their proper places and their