15 States of Inquiry

Applying the 15 Signs to Empirical Inquiry

Aug 30, 2024

One way to apply the 15 Signs is to rename them based on the specific phenomena being studied.

For instance, if we applied the 15 Signs to music, they could correspond to musical terms and concepts like tone, texture, pitch, melody, harmony, and style. In the context of visual design, they might be things like graph, picture, table, logo, text, and so on.

Inspired by Gary Shank’s wonderful article, Peirce’s Ten Classes of Signs and the Empirical Researcher, I've adapted the 15 Signs into a framework I call the 15 States of Inquiry.

This is a simplified version and shouldn't be taken as a direct one-to-one mapping of the 15 Signs themselves. However, I believe it's a useful tool. The main benefit of this framework is that it illuminates how various states of inquiry are connected.

15 States of Inquiry

1. Possibility — Perceiving Grounding [1111]

Before any inquiry can begin, the first step is recognizing that something is possible. This state is about Perceiving pure possibility—the initial Ground of exploration. It is the open-mindedness to explore various avenues. It’s the fertile ground where ideas first take root.

A scientist wonders if life could exist on other planets. A designer imagines a new type of chair that could be more ergonomic. An economist speculates on the impact of a cashless society. A teacher ponders the possibility of a new teaching method improving student engagement.

2. Hunch — Perceiving Presentation [2111]

Something is Perceived as a forceful Presentation in itself. The initial real forceful contact with the object of inquiry. A preliminary guess or intuition about a something. The beginning of the research. The first glance at the subject resulting in a hunch.

An engineer suspects a certain material might work for a new construction method. A biologist thinks a certain plant could have medicinal properties. A marketer feels a new product could appeal to an untapped demographic.

3. Clue — Perceiving Representation [2211]

The object of inquiry is Perceived Representing possibly something. It is a sign of a possible connection to some existent, serving as a clue in the research process. However, at this state, the information is still preliminary but suggests potential connections.

Finding a fossil that hints at an unknown dinosaur species. Noticing an unusual spike in sales. Observing that some students excel in online learning environments. Seeing that smokers seem to get sick more often.

4. Connection — Perceiving Communication (Qualitative) [2221]

The object of inquiry is Perceived Communicating (causing) some Qualitative effect. The clues start to communicate a qualitative effect, revealing relationships between different pieces of information. Connections begin to form.

Noticing that an engine is overheating and that the coolant level is low. Noticing that smokers seem more likely to accumulate tar in their lungs. Observing that plant growth is related to soil quality.

5. Fact — Perceiving Communication (Dynamic) [2222]

The object of inquiry is Perceived Communicating (causing) some Dynamic effect. The relationships are recognized as factual. The inquiry reaches a state where the connections have forceful, dynamic effects. It is the recognition of factual information or observed effects.

Recognizing that applying heat causes water to boil. Noting that increased exercise leads to weight loss. Observing that reducing class size improves student performance. Finding that adding fertilizer increases crop yield. Seeing that reducing screen time improves sleep quality in children.

6. Insight — Experiencing Presentation [3111]

Insight occurs when a pattern of order is Presented in Experience, giving a moment of clarity—an “aha!” moment. This is when a possible explanation starts to form.

Understanding that DNA carries genetic information. Seeing how supply and demand affect market prices. Grasping that teamwork leads to more effective problem-solving. Recognizing that certain behaviors are learned through imitation.

7. Case — Experiencing Representation [3211]

Individual instances are Experienced as Representing some underlying general pattern or tendency. Each case is a specific, measurable piece of information. Individual piece of the puzzle helping to build a broader picture.

Recording the temperature at which water boils at different altitudes. Measuring the increase in test scores after introducing a new teaching method. Counting the number of species in an ecosystem. Tracking customer satisfaction over time. Logging the number of defects in a product batch.

8. Symptom — Experiencing Communication (Qualitative) [3221]

An individual instance Experienced as Communicating (causing) a Qualitative effect and indicating a larger issue or condition. The recognized relation between an individual instance and known real tendency.

Fever as a symptom of infection. A sudden drop in sales indicating a problem with product appeal. Increased absenteeism as a sign of low employee morale. A rise in complaint calls signaling a product defect. A plant wilting due to insufficient watering.

9. Experiment — Experiencing Communication (Dynamic) [3222]

An instance/token Experienced as Communicating (causing) a Dynamic effect. Mediation of information so that an individual instance, recognized as a sign of a underlying tendency, causes dynamic effects.

Conducting a lab experiment to see if a chemical causes a reaction. Testing a new marketing strategy and measuring its effect on sales. Running a clinical trial to assess a drug's effectiveness. Trying a new teaching technique and observing changes in student grades. Applying different fertilizers to crops and comparing growth.

10. Tendency — Understanding Representation [3311]

Tendency Understood as Representation. The recognition of overarching tendencies, rules, or probabilistic patterns that govern observed phenomena.

Understanding that objects fall at the same rate regardless of mass. Recognizing that demand typically decreases as prices rise. Knowing that certain diseases spread faster in densely populated areas. Observing that birds migrate south for the winter. Seeing that economic recessions follow financial patterns.

11. Correlation — Understanding Communication (Qualitative) [3321]

Tendency Understood as Communicating (causing) Qualitative effects. General relationships between signs, showing how patterns or tendencies actualize in certain conditions. Correlations help identify where and when tendencies apply.

Linking high sugar intake to an increased risk of diabetes. Correlating education level with income. Noticing a relationship between job satisfaction and turnover rates. Understanding the correlation between regular exercise and mental health. Identifying a correlation between smoking and lung cancer.

12. Causation— Understanding Communication (Dynamic) [3322]

Tendency Understood as Communicating (causing) Dynamic effects. Establishes a general cause-and-effect relationship, often proven through experimentation.

Proving that smoking causes lung cancer. Demonstrating that high calorie intake leads to weight gain. Showing that exposure to sunlight causes skin tanning. Establishing that regular exercise reduces heart disease risk. Proving that lowering interest rates stimulates economic growth.

13. Concept — Sharing Communication (Qualitative) [3331]

Symbol is Shared in Communication causing a Qualitative effect. A concept is a broad an open idea shared in communication. They shape our understanding of the world.

Sharing the concept of natural selection in evolution. Introducing the idea of supply and demand in economics. Defining the concept of gravity in physics. Explaining cognitive dissonance in psychology. Presenting the idea of climate change.

14. Theory — Sharing Communication (Dynamic) [3332]

Symbol is Shared in Communication causing Dynamic effects. A theory is a well-substantiated explanation based on a body of evidence, built from concepts. Theories are comprehensive explanations of how things work.

Developing the theory of evolution by natural selection. Proposing the theory of relativity in physics. Formulating the theory of plate tectonics in geology or the theory of social contract in political science.

15. Meta-theory — Sharing Communication (Logical) [3333]

A symbol is Shared in Communication causing a guiding Logical idea. A meta-theory synthesizes or integrates multiple theories, guiding broader empirical inquiry. It’s a theory about theories, a guiding framework.

Scientific paradigm. Integrating multiple theories into the theory of general relativity. Combining theories to form the synthetic theory of evolution. Creating a meta-theory in economics that bridges micro and macroeconomic principles. Establishing a meta-theory in social sciences that integrates theories of structure and agency.

Relations Between the States

It is important to notice once again that the process of inquiry is not a linear one, but a constant back and forth, where our theories and meta-theories affect our perceptions and vice versa.

Let us examine this point by noticing two kinds of relationships in the diagram.

Inclusionary Relationships

The more developed states include all the previous ones. If we move in the direction of the upper-left in the diagram, we notice how:

Meta-theories include Theories and Concepts
Example: Newtonian physics is a meta-theory including specific theories like the law of universal gravitation and concepts like inertia.
Causations include Correlations and Tendencies
Example: The causation that smoking leads to lung cancer includes the correlation between smoking and cancer rates, as well as the tendency of harmful substances to damage lung tissue.
Experiments include Symptoms, Cases, and Insights
Example: A clinical trial (experiment) includes the symptoms patients experience, specific cases like blood pressure readings, and insights such as the idea that the drug might be effective in lowering blood pressure.
Facts include Connections, Clues, Hunches, and Possibilities
Example: The fact that water freezes at 0°C includes the perceived connection between 0°C and freezing, clues from observing that freezing is likely connected to temperature, hunches from noticing the phenomenon of freezing, and the possibility that substances might have various phase states.

Reverse Perspective: Reading this from the bottom up, each state actualizes into the next:
Possibilities actualize as Hunches, Clues, Connections, and so on.

Hierarchical Relationships

This idea focuses on the movement of Abstraction, where concepts gain generality (3rdness). This is the movement in the direction of the upper-right. Here’s how each state abstracts to the next:

Possibilities cannot be abstracted because it represents pure potential and is the starting point. (This is evident from the diagram as there is no state in the direction of upper-right.)
Hunches abstract to Insights
Example: A hunch that a new material could be useful for building bridges evolves into an insight when testing shows it has the required strength, opening up possibilities for novel bridge designs.
Clues abstract to Cases
Example: A clue that certain plants seem to do well in nutrient-rich soil abstracts to specific cases where measurements of soil nutrients and plant growth are recorded.

Cases abstract to Tendencies
Example: Observing various cases where plants in nutrient-rich soil consistently show better growth abstracts to the tendency that nutrient-rich soil generally promotes plant health.
Connections abstract to Symptoms
Example: The connection between high stress levels and poor sleep quality abstracts to the symptom of frequent insomnia in stressed individuals.
Symptoms abstract to Correlations
Example: The symptom of frequent insomnia due to high stress abstracts to the correlation between stress levels and sleep disturbances.

Correlations abstract to Concepts
Example: The correlation between high stress and poor sleep abstracts to the concept of stress-induced sleep disorders.
Facts abstract to Experiments
Example: Observing that wounds become inflamed when certain substances are present abstracts to conducting experiments where different substances are tested to see how they affect wound healing.
Experiments abstract to Causations
Example: Experiments showing that some substances consistently cause inflammation in wounds abstract to the broader idea that these substances cause infections.
Causations abstract to Theories
Example: The observation that substances cause inflammation abstracts to the theory that tiny living things, like bacteria, are responsible for causing these infections.
Theories abstract to Meta-theories
Example: The theory that bacteria and other microorganisms cause infections abstracts to the meta-theory of infectious diseases, which integrates various theories on how different germs cause illnesses, how our immune system responds, and how we can prevent and treat diseases.

Reverse Perspective: Reading from the bottom up, each state instantiates into the next:

Meta-theories instantiate as Theories, Causations, and so on.

PhiloSign

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