What does "thing-in-itself" mean?

`n.`本体 (běn tǐ)；本体 (běn tǐ); 自性 (zì xìng)

How do you pronounce "thing-in-itself"?

The pronunciation is /[ˈθɪŋ.ɪn.ɪtˈself]/. Listen to American and British pronunciations on this page.

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thing-in-itself

[US]/[ˈθɪŋ.ɪn.ɪtˈself]/

[UK]/[ˈθɪŋ.ɪn.ɪtˈself]/

Frequency: Very High

Translation

n.A concept in philosophy, particularly Kantianism, referring to the object as it exists independently of perception or understanding; the noumenal object.; The object as it exists independently of any human concepts or categories applied to it.

Word Forms

Plural

things-in-itself

Phrases & Collocations

the thing-in-itself

grasp the thing-in-itself

know the thing-in-itself

conceive thing-in-itself

thing-in-itself problem

experience thing-in-itself

access thing-in-itself

beyond thing-in-itself

Example Sentences

kant argued that we can only know the phenomenal world, not the thing-in-itself.

the thing-in-itself remains forever beyond our grasp, a source of philosophical speculation.

schopenhauer believed the thing-in-itself was will, a blind and irrational force.

understanding the thing-in-itself is a central problem in transcendental idealism.

he questioned whether accessing the thing-in-itself was even theoretically possible.

the concept of the thing-in-itself highlights the limitations of human knowledge.

many philosophers dismissed the thing-in-itself as an unnecessary metaphysical construct.

kant's distinction between appearance and the thing-in-itself shaped subsequent philosophy.

the thing-in-itself is often contrasted with the phenomenal world we experience.

descartes's clear and distinct ideas were meant to access the thing-in-itself directly.

the unknowability of the thing-in-itself leads to debates about the nature of reality.