Nonthinglike

Nonthinglike is a philosophical term used to describe entities or phenomena that do not fit the standard conception of a thing, as discrete, persisting objects with intrinsic identities. The term signals a category that lies between ordinary objects and abstract relations or processes, emphasizing ontological status rather than mere appearance. Etymology and usage: a blend of the prefix non- with thinglike, the word has appeared in 21st‑century debates in ontology, metaphysics, and philosophy of mind, with varying definitions across authors.

Characteristics: nonthinglike entities may lack stable individuation, intrinsic essence, or spatiotemporal localization; they are often relational, functional, episodic, or emergent. They may resist reidentification across time or contexts, making persistent thinghood questionable.

Applications: the term is used to analyze events, processes, continua, social practices, fictional constructs, or informational states that are not easily reducible to discrete objects. In philosophy of mind, certain conscious states or experiential contents are described as nonthinglike to stress non-physical or non-objective aspects. In cognitive science and linguistics, it helps distinguish nominal references to processes or relations from those to tangible objects.

Criticism and reception: some critics argue that nonthinglike is vague or redundant with existing categories such as process ontology or relational properties, while supporters view it as a useful heuristic for avoiding reification.