In evolutionary biology, a similar debate exists between "lumpers versus splitters" with regard to classifying life- how different does something have to be to deserve a new name? Splitters tend to want more distinct groups; lumpers like to keep groups a bit larger. Neither point of view changes the existence of organisms- just how they are referred to. There is, however, a body of scientists that accept/reject/change the names of living things.
Oh, and still like the cream ale analogy, even if it just describes the grist and some elements of the process. So there.