The elusive essence: A philosophical interrogation of phenomenon‐based knowledge organization

Abstract Phenomenon‐based classification (PBC) systems are gaining renewed interest for their potential to facilitate interdisciplinary research. This paper acknowledges the practical advantages highlighted by proponents but critically examines the underlying philosophical assumptions concerning the nature of “phenomena.” Drawing on insights from the philosophy of science, semiotics of information, and domain analysis, this paper argues that PBC is caught in a foundational paradox: its ambition to classify phenomena irrespective of context is implicitly essentialist, while its method for defining those phenomena is necessarily constructivist, relying on social consensus. This unexamined tension between its goals and its practice is a significant theoretical weakness. Understanding this philosophical conflict is crucial for developing more epistemologically robust and truly interoperable knowledge organization systems.