trascendenza

Trascendenza is the Italian term for transcendence, derived from the Latin transcendere “to go beyond.” In philosophy, theology, aesthetics and psychology, trascendenza denotes that which lies beyond the ordinary limits of experience, knowledge, or existence, or the act of surpassing them. The concept is often contrasted with immanence, which refers to what remains within experience.

In philosophy, trascendenza concerns what exceeds possible experience or reason. It is central to debates about the limits of knowledge and the distinction between phenomena and noumena. In Kant's framework, the thing-in-itself (noumenon) is transcendent to human cognition; we can only know appearances (phenomena). In later idealist traditions, the transcendent is developed as an absolute or spiritual principle that surpasses ordinary categories.

In theology, trascendenza describes the attribute of the divine as beyond creation and independent of it. God is commonly described as transcendent—existing beyond space and time, not reducible to the world—yet many traditions also emphasize divine immanence through revelation, providence, or grace. Mystical and apophatic approaches stress that human concepts cannot fully grasp the divine.

In aesthetics and spirituality, trascendenza often refers to experiences or works that elevate perception, feeling, or existence beyond the ordinary. In mysticism, self-transcendence denotes moving beyond ego-centered concerns toward unity with a greater reality or service to others.

In psychology and ethics, self-transcendence is the tendency to extend concerns beyond personal interests to others, values, or a larger purpose. The concept appears in Viktor Frankl's logotherapy and in Maslow's later writings on growth and meaning.