Noumenon

The noumenon (/ˈnɒuːmᵻnɒn/) is a posited object or event that is known (if at all) without the use of ordinary sense-perception. The term noumenon is generally used in contrast with, or in relation to phenomenon, which refers to anything that can be apprehended by, or is an object of the senses. Much of modern philosophy has generally been skeptical of the possibility of knowledge independent of the senses, and Immanuel Kant gave this point of view its canonical expression: that the noumenal world may exist, but it is completely unknowable through human sensation. In Kantian philosophy, the unknowable noumenon is often linked to the unknowable "thing-in-itself" (Ding an sich, which could also be rendered as "thing as such" or "thing per se"), although how to characterize the nature of the relationship is a question yet open to some controversy.

Etymology

The Greek word νοούμενoν (nooúmenon), plural noumena (νοούμενα), is the middle-passive present participle of νοεῖν (noeîn), "I think, I mean", which in turn originates from the word nous (from νόος, νοῦς (noûs), "perception, understanding, mind"). A rough equivalent in English would be "something that is thought", or "the object of an act of thought".

Noumenon (disambiguation)

Noumenon, plur. Noumena, is a modern philosophic word used in many languages. It is borrowed without change from the Greek present middle and passive participle of the contract verb, noein (no-e-ein), “to know.” The present participle has a continuous aspect, so that noumenon means more exactly “a thing that is currently being continuously known.” It can mean specifically:

Philosophic uses

Unrelated artistic uses