Toward a Peircean-enriched Phenomenon-Based Classification – ontological foundations and semiotic mediations

Purpose Phenomenon-Based Classification (PBC) is an alternative to disciplinary taxonomies that structures information around real-world phenomena. It has been critiqued for lacking a robust ontological foundation and implicitly endorsing naïve essentialism. This paper proposes a Peircean perspective to provide a coherent philosophical framework that addresses these shortcomings. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on Charles Sanders Peirce’s categories of Firstness, Secondness and Thirdness as well as his semiotic and metaphysical doctrines. It explores how Peirce’s philosophy can enrich and reconcile two major methodologies relevant for PBC: facet analysis and domain analysis. The Integrative Levels Classification (ILC) system is examined as a concrete implementation of PBC and interpreted through a Peircean lens. Findings The paper concludes that a Peircean-inspired PBC can avoid the pitfalls of essentialism while preserving a commitment to realism and interdisciplinary coherence. The proposed triadic, realist and interpretive framework enriches and reconciles facet and domain analysis, strengthening the ontological foundations of PBC. Originality/value The paper provides a novel theoretical grounding for PBC, addressing a significant critique in the literature. It outlines the theoretical and methodological implications of this approach, demonstrating its value for designing more robust and coherent knowledge organization systems for interdisciplinary research and digital environments.