Latentism

Latentism is a term used in a limited set of scholarly discussions to denote a doctrine about latent factors or properties that underlie observable phenomena. Because it is not widely standardized, its precise definition varies by discipline.

In philosophy and epistemology, latentism is sometimes used to describe the view that certain mental contents, potential practices, or essences reside in latent form and become actual only through development, interaction, or revelation, rather than being present as explicit content from the outset. In the sciences, latentism commonly appears in discussions of latent variables—unobserved constructs inferred from measured data—where the latent factors are posited to explain correlations among observed variables.

In these contexts latentism often aligns with approaches that seek parsimonious explanations through hidden causes or structures, as opposed to explanations based solely on observable features. Historically, some theorists argued that natural kinds or causal powers are latent, shaping phenomena without being directly detectable. The term is often used as a broad umbrella rather than a precise theory, which leads to variation and ambiguity.

Critics warn that latentist positions can be unfalsifiable or circular if the latent constructs are not operationally defined. Proponents counter that latent models offer practical tools for analysis, prediction, and theory-building, especially in psychology, social science, and cognitive science. Because latentism overlaps with established concepts like latent variables and essentialism, many discussions prefer to use the more precise terms rather than the umbrella label latentism.

See also latent variable, factor analysis, essentialism, structural equation modeling.