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<article xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:ali="http://www.niso.org/schemas/ali/1.0/" article-type="research-article" dtd-version="1.2" xml:lang="en"><front><journal-meta><journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">RUDN Journal of Philosophy</journal-id><journal-title-group><journal-title xml:lang="en">RUDN Journal of Philosophy</journal-title><trans-title-group xml:lang="ru"><trans-title>Вестник Российского университета дружбы народов. Cерия: Философия</trans-title></trans-title-group></journal-title-group><issn publication-format="print">2313-2302</issn><issn publication-format="electronic">2408-8900</issn><publisher><publisher-name xml:lang="en">Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba (RUDN University)</publisher-name></publisher></journal-meta><article-meta><article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">52800</article-id><article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.22363/2313-2302-2026-30-3-1038-1049</article-id><article-id pub-id-type="edn">TAYGKD</article-id><article-categories><subj-group subj-group-type="toc-heading" xml:lang="en"><subject>ONTOLOGY AND EPISTEMOLOGY</subject></subj-group><subj-group subj-group-type="toc-heading" xml:lang="ru"><subject>ОНТОЛОГИЯ И ТЕОРИЯ ПОЗНАНИЯ</subject></subj-group><subj-group subj-group-type="article-type"><subject>Research Article</subject></subj-group></article-categories><title-group><article-title xml:lang="en">Pros and Cons of Dichotomy and Polytomy as Cognitive Tools and Varieties of Taxonomy</article-title><trans-title-group xml:lang="ru"><trans-title>Плюсы и минусы дихотомии и политомии как когнитивных инструментов и разновидностей таксономии</trans-title></trans-title-group></title-group><contrib-group><contrib contrib-type="author"><contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0336-9570</contrib-id><contrib-id contrib-id-type="spin">2644-7587</contrib-id><name-alternatives><name xml:lang="en"><surname>Bazhanov</surname><given-names>Valentin A.</given-names></name><name xml:lang="ru"><surname>Бажанов</surname><given-names>Валентин Александрович</given-names></name></name-alternatives><bio xml:lang="en"><p>DSс in Philosophy, Distinguished author of Russian Federation</p></bio><bio xml:lang="ru"><p>доктор философских наук, профессор, заслуженный деятель науки РФ</p></bio><email>vbazhanov@yandex.ru</email><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"/></contrib></contrib-group><aff-alternatives id="aff1"><aff><institution xml:lang="en">Ulyanovsk State University</institution></aff><aff><institution xml:lang="ru">Ульяновский государственный университет</institution></aff></aff-alternatives><pub-date date-type="pub" iso-8601-date="2026-10-14" publication-format="electronic"><day>14</day><month>10</month><year>2026</year></pub-date><volume>30</volume><issue>3</issue><issue-title xml:lang="en">THE PHILOSOPHY OF ERNST CASSIRER</issue-title><issue-title xml:lang="ru">ФИЛОСОФИЯ ЭРНСТА КАССИРЕРА</issue-title><fpage>1038</fpage><lpage>1049</lpage><history><date date-type="received" iso-8601-date="2026-10-14"><day>14</day><month>10</month><year>2026</year></date></history><permissions><copyright-statement xml:lang="en">Copyright ©; 2026, Bazhanov V.A.</copyright-statement><copyright-statement xml:lang="ru">Copyright ©; 2026, Бажанов В.А.</copyright-statement><copyright-year>2026</copyright-year><copyright-holder xml:lang="en">Bazhanov V.A.</copyright-holder><copyright-holder xml:lang="ru">Бажанов В.А.</copyright-holder><ali:free_to_read xmlns:ali="http://www.niso.org/schemas/ali/1.0/"/><license><ali:license_ref xmlns:ali="http://www.niso.org/schemas/ali/1.0/">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0</ali:license_ref></license></permissions><self-uri xlink:href="https://journals.rudn.ru/philosophy/article/view/52800">https://journals.rudn.ru/philosophy/article/view/52800</self-uri><abstract xml:lang="en"><p>The research has the goal to analyze the features, advantages and disadvantages of ubiquitous taxonomy types (classification) - dichotomy and (bipartite and multinomial polytomy) due the spirit of R. Carnap’s “conceptual engineering”. It is shown that taxonomy is a complex process that not only of logical nature and does not allow a “mechanical” approach either in the case of dichotomy or polytomy. Attention is drawn to the fact that dichotomies allow for fairly rapid decision-making and efficient allocation of resources when decisions cannot be delayed and are useful in the early stages of scientific research. At more advanced stages of activity and / or research, it is desirable to shift the focus to the application of bipartite and polynomial kinds of polytomy, through which the subject area can be studied in greater depth and detail. It is emphasized that these taxonomy methods have ontological and ontogenetic foundations. We stress that persons with certain psychological characteristics, especially those with autism, who perceive situations of uncertainty with wariness or apprehension and seek to transform these situations promptly into having definite contours, are more prone to dichotomies. It is suggested that in societies dominated by cultures and especially religions (for example, Manichaeism), which are located to create pictures of the world without halftones and shades in the format of white - black (good - evil), preference is given to the ordering of reality exactly on the dichotomous principle. We claim that various abstractions (identification, indistinguishability, individualization) functions implicitly in the process of classification.</p></abstract><trans-abstract xml:lang="ru"><p>Предпринимается попытка в духе «концептуальной инженерии» Р. Карнапа проанализировать особенности, достоинства и недостатки таких видов таксономии (классификации) как дихотомия и (двухчленная и многочленная) политомия. Показывается, что таксономия является сложным процессом, не сводящийся к логическим преобразованиям и не допускающим «механического» подхода ни в случае дихотомии, ни в случаях политомии. Обращается внимание на тот факт, что дихотомия позволяет довольно оперативно принимать решения и эффективно распределять ресурсы в условиях, когда решения не допускают промедления, а также она полезна на начальных стадиях научного исследования. На более продвинутых этапах деятельности и / или исследования акцент желательно перенести на применение двухчленной и многочленной политомии, с помощью которых предметная область может быть изучена более глубоко и с большей детализацией. Подчеркивается, что эти методы таксономии имеют онтологические и онтогенетические основания. Показывается, что к дихотомии более склонны лица с определенными психологическими характеристиками, особенно страдающие аутизмом, которые с настороженностью или опасением воспринимают ситуации неопределенности и стремятся быстрее эти ситуации трансформировать в имеющие определенные контуры. Высказывается мысль, что в социумах с доминированием культур и особенно религий (например, манихейство), которые расположены создавать картины мира без полутонов и оттенков в формате белое - черное (добро - зло), предпочтение отдается упорядочению реальности именно по дихотомическому принципу. Обосновывается, что в процессе классификации имплицитно работают различные абстракции (отождествления, неразличимости, индивидуализации).</p></trans-abstract><kwd-group xml:lang="en"><kwd>classification</kwd><kwd>taxonomy</kwd><kwd>two-member and multimember polytomy</kwd><kwd>psychological characteristics of personality</kwd><kwd>autism</kwd><kwd>abstraction</kwd></kwd-group><kwd-group xml:lang="ru"><kwd>классификация</kwd><kwd>таксономия</kwd><kwd>двухчленная и многочленная политомия</kwd><kwd>психологические характеристики личности</kwd><kwd>аутизм</kwd><kwd>абстрагирование</kwd></kwd-group><funding-group/></article-meta><fn-group/></front><body></body><back><ref-list><ref id="B1"><label>1.</label><citation-alternatives><mixed-citation xml:lang="en">Jevons S. Foundations of Science: A Treatise on Logic and Scientific Method. Antonovich M, transl. Saint Petersburg: L.F. Panteleev publ.; 1881. (In Russian).</mixed-citation><mixed-citation xml:lang="ru">Джевонс С. 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