Miniminä

Miniminä is a Finnish philosophical term used to describe the minimal or pre-reflective sense of self that accompanies conscious experience. It denotes the immediate first-person perspective that makes events feel like they are happening to “me” without reflective narrative. The concept is commonly discussed in phenomenology and cognitive science as a counterpart to the narrative or autobiographical self, which develops through memory and life-story.

Etymology and usage: The word combines minää (I) with mini (mini), signaling a basic layer of selfhood that is present in all experience, prior to explicit self-reflection. In Finnish scholarly writing, miniminä is often contrasted with more explicit or narrative forms of selfhood.

Core characteristics: The miniminä is typically described as pre-reflective, deictic, and embedded in embodiment. It is tied to the felt sense of agency and the subjective point of view from which perception and action are experienced. It is not considered a separate entity in the world, but a subject-position presupposed by conscious content.

Relation to other selves: The concept contrasts with reflexive and narrative conceptions of self, which involve self-awareness, evaluation, and a self-concept extended over time through memory. The relationship between minimal and narrative self remains a topic of debate in philosophy and cognitive science.

Applications: The notion informs discussions on self-awareness, agency, embodiment, and disorders of self-experience in psychology, psychiatry, and psychotherapy, providing a framework for understanding how subjectivity is given in experience.

Criticism: Some philosophers question the necessity or coherence of a distinct “minimal self,” arguing that selfhood emerges from social practices or that experience can be explained without postulating a separate minimal layer.

See also: Minimal self, Core self, Phenomenology, Self-awareness.