Hesheit

Hesheit is a term used in philosophy to denote a thing’s unique “thisness” or individual essence—what makes a particular object the object it is, rather than any other. It is often treated as synonymous with haecceity, a Latin-based term that serves a similar purpose in discussions of identity and individuation.

Etymology and usage

The word hesheit appears in analytic and continental discussions as a non-Latin alternative to haecceity. It is employed to describe the aspect of an object that grounds its singular identity, beyond its general properties or predicates. In this sense, hesheit is not a quality the object has, but a principle that individuates one object from another in a given metaphysical framework.

Relation to other concepts

Hesheit is distinct from what, or essence (quiddity), which concerns the general nature of a kind rather than the particular specimen. It is also related to discussions of possible worlds and indexicals, where the focus is on what makes this particular entity the one we are referring to in a specific context. While haecceity is the more widely cited term in philosophical literature, hesheit functions similarly as a way to express the notion of individual particularity.

Theoretical significance and criticisms

Philosophers use hesheit to analyze questions of identity over time, re-identification after division or duplication, and the criteria by which objects are individuated. Critics argue that references to thisness can be obscure or speculative, questioning whether hesheit adds substantive explanatory power beyond existing notions of property and relation.

See also

Haecceity, Thisness, Whatness, Identity, Metaphysics.