aseity

English

Etymology

From Medieval Latin aseitas (“state of being by itself”), from Classical Latin a se + -itas.

Pronunciation

• enPR: ə-sēˈ -ĭ-tē; IPA^(key): /əˈ siː.ɪ.ti/

Noun

aseity (countable and uncountable, plural aseities)

1. (metaphysics, theology) Usually ascribed to deity: the attribute of being entirely self-derived, in contrast to being derived from or dependent on another; the quality of having within oneself the entire reason for one's being; utter independent self-existence and self-sustenance.

   Antonyms: contingency, createdness, dependence, derivedness

   • 1902, William James, “Lecture XVIII: Philosophy”, in The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature […] , New York, N.Y.; London: Longmans, Green, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 439:

     He is Spiritual, for were He composed of physical parts, some other power would have to combine them into the total, and his aseity would thus be contradicted.

Derived terms

• aseitous

Translations

divine attribute of self-existence

• Catalan: aseïtat f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 自存性 (zìcúnxìng)

• Finnish: aseiteetti
• Galician: aseidade f
• German: Aseität (de) f
• Italian: aseità (it) f
• Latin: aseitas f
• Polish: aseitas (pl) f
• Portuguese: asseidade (pt) f
• Romanian: ^{(please verify)} aseitate f
• Spanish: aseidad (es) f

See also

• eternality
• existence