intrinseci

Intrinseci is the Italian term for intrinsic properties, referring to qualities that a thing has in itself, independent of external relations or contexts. In philosophy, intrinsic properties are contrasted with extrinsic properties, which depend on a thing’s relations to other objects, its environment, or observers. The distinction is widely debated: some theories hold that robust intrinsic features exist—such as rest mass, electric charge, and the internal constitution of a substance—while others contend that many supposed intrinsic traits are ultimately relational or context-dependent.

Common examples of intrinsic properties include inertial mass, electric charge, and chemical composition; properties like location, motion relative to a frame of reference, or environmental surroundings are typically seen as extrinsic. In ethics and aesthetics, intrinsic value refers to value something possesses in itself, for its own sake rather than for its usefulness or outcomes, a notion central to discussions of moral status, beauty, and the worth of natural entities.

The term intrinseci appears in scholarly Italian discussions across philosophy, physics, and ethics to mark qualities that are taken as inherent to the object, as opposed to those defined by external conditions or purposes. While the precise boundary between intrinsic and extrinsic properties remains contested, the concept remains a foundational tool for analyzing what things are, independently of how they are used or observed.