alité

Alité is a neologistic term used in speculative philosophy and literary theory to denote the quality of an entity that persists under certain transformations. The term is not widely used in established disciplines, and there is no fixed, universally accepted definition. It functions as a heuristic for discussing identity across change rather than a standard technical term.

Etymology and coinage: Alité is formed as a nonce word by combining a short stem al- with the productive French noun suffix -ité, following a pattern seen in terms like réalité or identité. Its coinage is attributed to contemporary writers exploring persistence of form amid transformation.

Definition and usage: In its common speculative use, alité describes a hypothetical invariant core that survives mutation of state, context, or representation. It is distinct from essential properties in that it emphasizes invariance under specified transformations rather than intrinsic essence. In philosophy of mind, a discussion of personal continuity might appeal to alité as the invariant trace of a self through memory and circumstance. In literary theory, a character's alité might be described as the feature that remains recognizably the same despite disguise or environment.

Relation to other concepts: Alité relates to invariants, persistence, and essentialism but is purposely more flexible and metaphorical. It is often employed as a heuristic rather than a rigorously defined property.

Criticism and reception: Critics argue that without clear criteria, alité risks vague or misleading use. Proponents maintain that it can illuminate subtle forms of identity and transformation.

See also: identity, invariance, essentialism, transformation.