[論文レビュー] From Symbol to Meaning: Ontological and Philosophical Reflections on Large Language Models in Information Systems Engineering

José Palazzo Moreira de Oliveira|arXiv (Cornell University)|Mar 18, 2026

Information Systems Theories and Implementation被引用数 0

ひとこと要約

論文は、大規模言語モデル（LLMs）が情報システム工学における言語、意味、およびシステム設計を再構成する方法を統合的かつ哲学的に検討し、LLMベースのシステムを透明な倫理的枠組みの中に基づかせ、 epistemic agents として捉えるべきであると主張する。

ABSTRACT

The advent of Large Language Models (LLMs) represents a turning point in the theoretical foundations of Information Systems Engineering. Beyond their technical significance, LLMs challenge the ontological, epistemological, and semiotic assumptions that have long structured our understanding of in-formation, representation, and knowledge. This article proposes an integrative reflection on how LLMs reconfigure the relationships among language, meaning, and system design, suggesting that their emergence demands a re-examination of the conceptual foundations of contemporary information systems. Sketching on philosophical traditions from Peirce to Heidegger and Floridi, we investigate how the logic of generative models both extends and destabilises classical notions of ontology and signification. The discussion emphasises the necessity of grounding LLM-based systems in transparent, ethically coherent frameworks that respect the integrity of human-centred knowledge processes. Ultimately, the paper argues that LLMs should be understood not merely as tools for automation but as epistemic agents that reshape the philosophical and semiotic foundations of information systems engineering.

研究の動機と目的

• Motivate a re-examination of the conceptual foundations of contemporary information systems in light of LLMs.
• Explore how LLMs affect ontological, epistemological, and semiotic assumptions in information systems.
• Propose grounding LLM-based systems in transparent, ethically coherent frameworks.
• Argue for viewing LLMs as epistemic agents that reshape information systems design.

提案手法

• Sketches on philosophical traditions from Peirce to Heidegger and Floridi as a basis for analysis.
• Investigate how the logic of generative models extends and destabilizes classical ontology and signification.
• Provide an integrative reflection on language, meaning, and system design in IS engineering.
• Emphasize the need for grounding LLM-based systems in transparent and ethically coherent frameworks.

実験結果

リサーチクエスチョン

• RQ1 How do LLMs reconfigure the relationships among language, meaning, and system design in information systems engineering?
• RQ2 In what ways do LLMs extend or destabilize classical notions of ontology and signification?
• RQ3 What ontological, epistemological, and semiotic assumptions in information systems are challenged by LLMs?
• RQ4 How can LLM-based systems be grounded in transparent, ethically coherent frameworks?

主な発見

• LLMs prompt a re-examination of the conceptual foundations of contemporary information systems.
• LLMs extend and destabilize traditional notions of ontology and signification.
• There is a need to ground LLM-based systems in transparent and ethically coherent frameworks that respect human-centered knowledge processes.
• LLMs should be understood as epistemic agents that reshape the philosophical and semiotic foundations of information systems engineering.