synkrasía

Synkrasía is a rarely used term in philosophy and the humanities, appearing in a small number of scholarly discussions on moral psychology and agency. The word is formed from Greek elements meaning “together” or “joint” and a root related to mixture or power, reflecting a notion of blended or coordinated faculties. Because it is not a standard term in major lexicons, definitions vary by author and context.

Usage and scope: The term is encountered chiefly in debates about how rational and non-rational parts of the soul relate to action. In some passages, synkrasía is described as a state in which the soul’s faculties operate in a coordinated or unified manner, potentially supporting coherent, reason-guided action. In other contexts, it is used to signal a mixed or compromised condition of self-governance, where faculties influence one another without a clearly dominant, controlling faculty. The lack of a consistent definition means synkrasía is not a settled technical label in standard ethical or psychological taxonomies.

Relation to other concepts: Synkrasía is sometimes discussed alongside terms such as akrasia (weakness of will), enkrateia (self-control), and sophrosyne (temperance or moderation). It is generally presented as a conceptual counterpart to or a variation within the broader family of discussions about how reason, desire, and emotion interact in practical judgment.

taxonomy and sources: Because synkrasía is an obscure and contested term, researchers who use it typically supply their own definition and context. It does not have a fixed place in widely taught ontologies, and readers should consult the specific works where it appears to understand how the author construes the term.