Stop for a few seconds and reflect to answer the following question: what makes you you? Deep, huh? To find a satisfying answer, you will probably resort to adjectives such as sincere, brave, anxious, loving, among many others that can be used to define someone in a generic way.
But none of those adjectives would account for who you are. You are sincere, but are you always sincere? That's impossible, isn't it? Are you brave in any situation? Is he loving even when he is angry? We can see, therefore, that these adjectives, although they help us to define a person, do not account for the complexity that is someone's personality. And that's where ipseity comes in!
What is ipseity?
In a nutshell, ipseity is someone's individual and particular character, something that distinguishes him from all other beings of his species, that is, not everyone who is sincere is equally sincere. You are sincere in your own way, so you have a sincerity that no other person has, something that belongs only to you and makes you who you are.
And this is not just about adjectives. You have a way of observing what you love that is yours alone. You have a way of reacting to what irritates you that is yours alone. You have a way of showing love that is yours alone. These are their ipseities, something that is impossible to define in words, precisely because there are no words that can explain and define the very diverse and complex characteristics of a human being.
What does the word ipseity mean?
The word ipseity is an adaptation of another word, hecceity. This concept first appeared attributed to the Greek philosopher Aristotle and roughly means “what (he) is”. Despite having appeared in the teachings of the Greek philosopher, another thinker was responsible for the definition we know today of this term and also for its popularization.
John Duns Scotus (often spelled Scotus) lived between 1266 and 1308 in Scotland. He was a theologian and philosopher and lived for many years in Paris, where he taught. In his studies of Aristotelian work, he focused on the concept of hecceity and defined the contours of what we know today as ipseity.
How did ipseity arise?
In the book “Odinatio II”, Scotus wrote the following about this term:
“Because there exists among beings something indivisible into subjective parts — that is, such that it is formally incompatible to be divided into several parts […] Therefore the sense of the questions on this topic [of individuation] is: ] in this stone, why, as by a foundation nearby it is absolutely incompatible with the stone so that it can be divided into several parts each of which is this stone, the kind of division which is proper to a universal whole divided into its subjective parts ?”.
Yes, sounds complicated, doesn't it? So let's simplify. According to Scotus, hecceidades/ipseidades are the distinct qualities, properties and characteristics that make a thing particular and unique. No stone, for example, is the same as another. No dog is the same as another. Not even a sheet of paper has the same imperfections as another sheet.
Furthermore, according to Scotus' concept, if this sheet of paper is torn in two, each will have its own ipseities, so no essence can be shared or inherited, for example.
Ipseity and other concepts
There are other concepts in philosophy that talk about the essence and unique characteristics of a being. Therefore, each in its own way, they try to explain what the essence of something or someone is and how it is possible that each individual, whether something alive or not, can have such unique characteristics.
One of these concepts is that of “quidity”, a word derived from the Latin “quidditas” and which means “essential virtue”, that is, a characteristic without which something or someone would not be what it is.
Another similar concept is that of “number”, suggested by the philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), who used the word to mean something that exists in itself, independently of human knowledge. It is almost as if it were impossible for us human beings to define in words or concepts the characteristics of something or someone, because we would be resorting to words and associations, for example, something that already subverts the logic that something simple is, regardless of what it is. think and/or define.
Another term suggested by Aristotle and then explored also by John Locke is hypokeimenon, which has no equivalent in English, but is often described as “substrate of material”. According to Locke, the hypokeimenon is the essence, that which remains unchanged, even though something is undergoing changes.
As we can see, many philosophers have already addressed the question of essence and what makes each human being unique in its own right, but it would be impossible to arrive at an exact answer about this, because, as we know, philosophy is not an exact science, but a human science—and everything human is also subjective. Then you can have your say as to what your essence and your individuality are, if you think they exist at all.
How to explore your ipseity
According to this theory, we all have ipseities, since we are all unique. Discovering, exploring and understanding your ipseities is an individual and particular process, which only you can follow and unravel.
First of all, what do you think about this issue? Do you think we have an essence, despite being constantly changing? Or do you think that our essence changes as we change too? Your answer will not be right or wrong, but it will help you to explore your ipseities.
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Self-knowledge processes are essential for us to explore our ipseities, so activities such as psychotherapy and even reflections with yourself are essential for you to discover your characteristics and what exists in you that makes you yourself.
Despite all these philosophical concepts, there is no better way to discover and explore processes of self-knowledge than by living! Try, as much as possible, to be yourself, to understand what pleases you and what activities or people can do you good, so explore them! The important thing is that, whoever you are, always try to be close to what is good for you, even if what is good for you also changes often.
So, what do you think of the concept of ipseity? Do you agree with him? Do you believe that there is some kind of essence in the human being that defines us as individual beings or do you believe that we are all similar, even if more or less? Share your thoughts and always follow your self-knowledge process!
