tự thân
Definition
Adjective:
- In itself / per se: Refers to the inherent, intrinsic, or essential nature of something, considered independently, without external relations, influences, or purposes.
- For its own sake: Describes an action or state pursued as an end in itself, not as a means to another end.
Philosophical/Sociological Term:
- Class-in-itself: A Marxist concept denoting a social class whose members share an objective economic position but lack collective consciousness or organized political awareness of their common interests.
Usage Examples
Adjective:
- Sự thật tự thân đã có giá trị. (The truth has value in itself.)
- Anh ấy yêu nghệ thuật một cách tự thân. (He loves art for its own sake.)
Philosophical/Sociological Term:
- Giai cấp công nhân lúc đầu chỉ là giai cấp tự thân. (Initially, the working class was merely a class-in-itself.)
Advanced Usage
- Used in formal, academic, or philosophical contexts to denote intrinsic properties or objective existence without subjective awareness.
- Often contrasts with "tự giác" (conscious, for-itself), especially in dialectical theory.
Variants and Related Words
- Tự giác (adj): Conscious, self-aware; a class becoming a "class-for-itself."
- Tự tại (adj): Independent, self-contained, at ease.
Synonyms
- Intrinsic: belonging naturally; essential.
- Per se: by or in itself.
- As an end in itself: for its own sake.
Related Concepts
- Class consciousness: The awareness a social class has of its common interests and historical role (the state opposite to "tự thân").
- Immanent: existing or operating within.