individuaatio

Individuaatio is a term used across disciplines to denote the process or criteria by which something becomes or is recognized as a distinct individual. The word is often treated as synonymous with individuation, but its precise usage varies by field, reflecting different questions about identity, difference, and persistence.

In philosophy, individuation concerns what makes an object an individual and what grounds its numerical identity over time. The topic encompasses debates about substance, form and matter, substratum or underlying “thisness” (haecceity), and the role of causal history, spatiotemporal localization, or relational structure in distinguishing beings. Classical approaches explore how a thing remains the same despite change, while contemporary discussions examine how identity is tied to context, functions, or networks.

In psychology, particularly in Jungian theory, individuaatio (often translated as individuation) refers to the lifelong process of integrating unconscious content with conscious awareness to become a more unified, self-possessing person. This process involves balancing the persona, shadow, and other inner dynamics to achieve psychological wholeness.

In biology and cognitive science, individuaatio can describe how developmental processes or criteria distinguish discrete organisms or units within a population, as well as how an organism develops its own distinct identity during growth. It also appears in discussions of how artifacts, systems, or digital entities are identified as separate individuals for purposes of classification and interaction.

See also: personal identity, ontology, Jungian psychology, philosophy of biology.