Individuation

The principle of individuation, or principium individuationis, describes the manner in which a thing is identified as distinct from other things.

The concept appears in numerous fields and is encountered in works of Leibniz, Carl Jung, Gunther Anders, Gilbert Simondon, Bernard Stiegler, Friedrich Nietzsche, Arthur Schopenhauer, David Bohm, Henri Bergson, Gilles Deleuze, and Manuel DeLanda.

wikipedia/en/Individuation

Different terms for the principle of individuation include haecceity (a “thisness”), signatum (a “determinate individual”), and criterion of identity. These concepts explain what makes one entity distinct from another, addressing what makes something a unique individual rather than a mere instance of a universal type. In psychology, the term individuation refers to the process of developing a distinct sense of self, and terms like self-actualization or positive disintegration can describe the outcome of this process.

Metaphysical and logical terms

Haecceity: A non-qualitative property of a substance that is responsible for its “thisness” and individuality, as proposed by John Duns Scotus.
Signatum: A term used by Avicenna to mean a “determinate individual,” which is distinguished from others by accidental attributes.
Criterion of identity: A broader term that refers to the principle used to determine when two things are the same or different, applicable in both metaphysical and logical contexts.
Identity of indiscernibles: A principle that states if two things have all the same properties, they must be the same entity. This is a way of formulating the principle of individuation.

Psychological and social terms

Individuation: In a psychological context, this is a process of developing one’s own unique sense of self, distinct from the collective or the parental figures.
Self-actualization: The realization or fulfillment of one’s full potential, often seen as a goal of the individuation process.
Self-realization: The process of becoming a unique, whole individual by bringing latent potentials into reality.
Positive disintegration: A psychological theory that posits that a period of breaking down the existing personality structure is necessary for an individual to develop into a more complex and healthy personality.

Other related concepts

Atomism: The idea that all matter is composed of indivisible particles (atoms), which, although identical in type, are distinct individuals due to their position in space and time.
Preindividual being: A concept from Gilbert Simondon that suggests an individual arises from a state of being that is “preindividual,” with the process of individuation being what gives rise to the singular individual.

AI responses may include mistakes.

[1] wikipedia/en/Individuation

[2] wikipedia/en/Principle_of_individuation

[3] https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/individuation

[4] https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/medieval-haecceity/

[5] https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100001802

[6] https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/identity-indiscernible/

[7] https://www.jimpryor.net/teaching/courses/mind/notes/leibniz1.html

[8] https://iaap.org/jung-analytical-psychology/short-articles-on-analytical-psychology/individuation-2/

[9] https://mindfulcenter.org/individuation-work/

[10] https://www.facebook.com/groups/medievallogic/posts/2119598528242641/

[11] https://epochemagazine.org/34/gilbert-simondon-and-the-process-of-individuation/