becoming

Becoming is a term used in philosophy and daily discourse to denote the ongoing process by which entities come to be, change, or develop over time. The word derives from Old English become, from be- and cuman (to come).

Historical development: In ancient Greek thought, Heraclitus regarded reality as in perpetual flux, famously stating that you cannot step into the same river twice, an emphasis on becoming over static being. Parmenides, by contrast, argued that true being is unchanging and that change is illusory. Aristotle proposed that change explains how things move from potentiality to actuality within a rational order, making becoming intelligible through teleology and four causes. In German idealism, Hegel presented becoming as the dynamic movement of the dialectic—thesis producing antithesis that dissolves into synthesis, yielding higher forms of reality. The early 20th century process philosophers, particularly Whitehead, treated becoming as the fundamental structure of reality: entities are occasions of experience in a continuous, interdependent process. Henri Bergson’s durée and creative evolution similarly highlighted novelty and duration as essential to becoming.

Contemporary uses: In psychology and education, becoming denotes lifelong growth of identity, capabilities, and social roles—becoming a parent, a scientist, or a citizen. In sociology and cultural studies, becoming emphasizes situated, ongoing negotiation of self within communities. Philosophically, debates persist over whether becoming can be reconciled with any form of stable self or essence.

Becoming remains a foundational concept for understanding change, development, and the emergence of novelty across disciplines.