itthis

Itthis is a term that appears primarily in speculative fiction, philosophical thought experiments, and online discussions rather than in established academic literature. In these contexts, itthis is used to describe a hypothetical state or class of being that challenges traditional distinctions between self and other, subject and object, and human and nonhuman agency. The concept is often presented as neuter or indeterminate in identity, emphasizing relational perception and interaction over fixed essence.

Etymology and variants are not standardized. The word sometimes appears in lowercase as itthis and other times with capitalization as Itthis, reflecting its status as a neologism rather than a settled technical term. Its origin is unclear, though it is commonly interpreted as a blend of pronoun forms intended to signal a referent that is not easily categorized as either “it” or “this.”

In fiction and discourse, itthis is used to explore themes such as the boundaries of consciousness, the ethics of artificial or embodied agents, and the problem of objectification. Scenarios often depict entities that function as both observers and observed, or systems whose experiences cannot be reduced to human-centric descriptions. These explorations serve as thought experiments about personhood, agency, and how we attribute meaning to nonhuman actors.

Reception: itthis does not have a stable or widely recognized definition in scholarly literature. It remains a niche term, primarily found in speculative writing, philosophical blogs, and online debates about AI, ontology, and identity.

See also: artificial consciousness, personhood, ontology, phenomenology, science fiction philosophy.