**Hypostasis (philosophy)** From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: [navigation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(philosophy)#mw-head), [search](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(philosophy)#p-search) In [Christian](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity) usage, the [Greek](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_language) word **_hypostasis_** (ὑπόστᾰσις) means _beneath-standing_ or _underpinning_ and, by extension, the existence of some thing. In the ecumenical councils the terminology was clarified and standardized, so that the formula "Three Hypostases in one [Ousia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ousia)" came to be accepted as an epitome of the orthodox doctrine of the [Holy Trinity](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Trinity), that The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit are three distinct 'hypostases' in one God. The word is also used to refer to the divinity of Christ, which is another facet of Christ along with his humanity (see also [Hypostatic union](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_union)). The word 'hypostasis' has been met with controversy and confusion over the years, especially in the conversations between those who consider it to be a violation of the principle of [Monotheism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monotheism) and those who do not. | | |---| |**Contents**<br><br>[[hide](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(philosophy))]<br><br>- [1 Hellenic philosophy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(philosophy)#Hellenic_philosophy)<br>- [2 Early Christianity](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(philosophy)#Early_Christianity)<br>- [3 Ecumenical Councils](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(philosophy)#Ecumenical_Councils)<br>- [4 See also](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(philosophy)#See_also)<br>- [5 References](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(philosophy)#References)<br>- [6 References](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(philosophy)#References_2)| **[**[**edit**](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hypostasis_(philosophy)&action=edit&section=1)**] Hellenic philosophy** For instance it was used by [Aristotle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristotle) in contrast to [Plato](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plato) and the [Neoplatonists](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoplatonism) to speak of the objective reality of a thing or its inner reality (as opposed to outer form or illusion). In the [Christian Scriptures](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Testament) this seems roughly its meaning at [Hebrews 1:3](http://bible.crosswalk.com/OnlineStudyBible/bible.cgi?word=Hebrews+1:3&version=niv). Allied to this was its use for "basis" or "foundation" and hence also "confidence," e.g., in Hebrews 3:14 and 11:1 and [2 Corinthians](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2_Corinthians) 9:4 and 11:17. **[**[**edit**](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hypostasis_(philosophy)&action=edit&section=2)**] Early Christianity** In [Early Christian](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_Christian) writings it is used to denote "being" or "substantive reality" and is not always distinguished in meaning from [_ousia_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ousia) (essence); it was used in this way by [Tatian](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatian) and [Origen](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origen), and also in the [anathemas](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anathema) appended to the [Nicene Creed](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicene_Creed) of [325](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/325). See also: [Hypostatic union](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_union), where the term is used to describe the union of Christ's humanity and divinity. The term has also been used and is still used in modern Greek (not just [Koine Greek](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koine_Greek) or common ancient Greek) to mean "existence" along with the Greek word hýparxis (ὕπαρχις) and tropos hypárxeos (τρόπος ὑπάρχεως), which is individual existence. **[**[**edit**](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hypostasis_(philosophy)&action=edit&section=3)**] Ecumenical Councils** It was mainly under the influence of the [Cappadocian Fathers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cappadocian_Fathers) that the terminology was clarified and standardized, so that the formula "Three Hypostases in one Ousia" came to be everywhere accepted as an epitome of the orthodox doctrine of the [Holy Trinity](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Trinity). This consensus, however, was not achieved without some confusion at first in the minds of Western theologians, who had translated _hypo-stasis_ as "sub-stantia" (substance. See also [Consubstantiality](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consubstantiality)) and understood the Eastern Christians, when speaking of three "Hypostases" in the [Godhead](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godhead_(Christianity)), to mean three "Substances," i.e. they suspected them of [Tritheism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tritheism). But, from the middle of the fourth century onwards the word came to be contrasted with _ousia_ and used to mean "individual reality," especially in the [Trinitarian](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinitarianism) and [Christological](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christological) contexts. The Christian view of the [Trinity](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity) is often described as a view of [one God](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monotheism) existing in three distinct _hypostases/personae/persons_. The Latin "persona" is not the same as the English "person" but is a broader term that includes the meaning of the English "persona." **[**[**edit**](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hypostasis_(philosophy)&action=edit&section=4)**] See also** | | | |---|---| ||[**_Christianity portal_**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Christianity)| - [Being](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Being) - [Ecstasy (philosophy)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecstasy_(philosophy)) - [Haecceity](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haecceity) - [Hypokeimenon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypokeimenon) - [Immanence](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immanence) - [Ontology](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontology) - [Ousia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ousia) - [Phenomenon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenomenon) - [Noema](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noema) - a similar term used by Husserl - [Prakṛti](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prak%E1%B9%9Bti) - a similar term found in Hinduism | | | | |---|---|---| 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Hypostasis means, literally, that which lies beneath as basis or foundation. Hence it came to be used by the Greek [philosophers](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12025c.htm) to denote reality as distinguished from appearances (Aristotle, "Mund.", IV, 21). It occurs also in [St. Paul's](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11567b.htm) [Epistles](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05509a.htm) ([2 Corinthians 9:4](http://www.newadvent.org/bible/2co009.htm#vrs4); [11:17](http://www.newadvent.org/bible/2co011.htm#vrs17); [Hebrews 1:3](http://www.newadvent.org/bible/heb001.htm#vrs3)-[3:14](http://www.newadvent.org/bible/heb003.htm#vrs14)), but not in the sense of [person](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11726a.htm). Previous to the [Council of Nicæa](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11044a.htm) (325) hypostasis was synonymous with ousia, and even St. Augustine ([On the Holy Trinity V.8](http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/130105.htm)) avers that he sees no difference between them. The distinction in fact was brought about gradually in the course of the controversies to which the [Christological](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14597a.htm) [heresies](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07256b.htm) gave rise, and was definitively established by the [Council of Chalcedon](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03555a.htm) (451), which declared that in Christ the two [natures](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10715a.htm), each retaining its own properties, are united in one subsistence and one [person](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11726a.htm) (eis en prosopon kai mian hpostasin) ([Denzinger](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04736b.htm), ed. Bannwart, 148). They are not joined in a moral or [accidental](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01096c.htm) union (Nestorius), nor commingled ([Eutyches](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05631a.htm)), and nevertheless they are substantially united. For further explanation and bibliography see: [INCARNATION](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07706b.htm); [JESUS CHRIST](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08374c.htm); [MONOPHYSITISM](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10489b.htm); [NATURE](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10715a.htm); [PERSON](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11726a.htm). **Hypostatic union** From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: [navigation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_union#mw-head), [search](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_union#p-search) | | | |---|---| ||Look up [**_hypostasis_**](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hypostasis) in [Wiktionary](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiktionary), the free dictionary.| **Hypostatic union** (from the Greek: ὑπόστασις, {"[h]upostasis"}, "hypostasis", _sediment_, _foundation_, _substance_, or _subsistence_) is a technical term in [Christian](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity) [theology](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theology) employed in mainstream [Christology](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christology) to describe the union of Christ's humanity and divinity in one [hypostasis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(philosophy)).[[1]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_union#cite_note-0) The [First Council of Ephesus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Council_of_Ephesus) recognised this doctrine and affirmed its importance, stating that the humanity and divinity of Christ are made one according to nature and hypostasis in the [Logos](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logos). | | |---| |**Contents**<br><br>[[hide](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_union)]<br><br>- [1 The use of hypostasis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_union#The_use_of_hypostasis)<br>- [2 Through history](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_union#Through_history)<br>- [3 See also](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_union#See_also)<br>- [4 References](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_union#References)| **[**[**edit**](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hypostatic_union&action=edit&section=1)**] The use of _hypostasis_** | | |---| |[**A series of articles on**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christology)[**Christology**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christology)** <br> <br>**| |[Christ](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ) <br>[Pre-existence of Christ](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-existence_of_Christ) <br>[Logos (The Word)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logos_(Christianity)) <br>[Incarnation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incarnation_(Christianity)) • [Nativity](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nativity_of_Jesus#Christology_of_Nativity) <br>[Person of Christ](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Person_of_Christ) <br>**Hypostatic union** <br>[Knowledge of Christ](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_of_Christ) <br>[Perfection of Christ](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principle_of_perfection_of_Christ) <br>[Threefold office](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threefold_office)| _Main article:_ [_Hypostasis (philosophy)_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(philosophy)) **Hypostasis** had come into use as a technical term prior to the Christological debates of the late fourth and fifth centuries. Before there were Christians, the word was used in [Greek philosophy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_philosophy), primarily in [Stoicism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoicism).[[2]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_union#cite_note-1)[[3]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_union#cite_note-2) _Hypostasis_ had some use in the [New Testament](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Testament) that reflect the later, technical understanding of the word; especially Hebrews 1:3. Although it can be rendered literally as "substance" this has been a cause of some confusion[[4]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_union#cite_note-3) so it is now often translated "subsistence". It denotes an actual, concrete existence, in contrast with abstract categories such as [Platonic ideals](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platonic_ideal). The [First Council of Nicaea](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Council_of_Nicaea) declared that the [Father](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_the_Father) and the [Son](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_the_Son) are of the same substance and are co-eternal. This belief was expressed in the [Nicene Creed](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicene_Creed). **[**[**edit**](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hypostatic_union&action=edit&section=2)**] Through history** [Apollinaris of Laodicea](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollinaris_of_Laodicea) was the first to use the term hypostasis in trying to understand the [Incarnation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incarnation).[[5]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_union#cite_note-4) Apollinaris described the union of the divine and human in Christ as being of a single nature and having a single essence - a single hypostasis. The [Nestorian](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestorian) [Theodore of Mopsuestia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_of_Mopsuestia) went in the other direction, arguing that in Christ there were two natures ([dyophysite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyophysite)) (human and divine) and two hypostases (in the sense of "essence" or "person") that co-existed.[[6]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_union#cite_note-5) The [Chalcedonian Creed](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalcedonian_Creed) agreed with Theodore that there were two natures in the [Incarnation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incarnation_(Christianity)). However, the [Council of Chalcedon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Chalcedon) also insisted that hypostasis be used as it was in the Trinitarian definition: to indicate the person and not the nature as with Apollinarius. Thus, the Council declared that in Christ there are two natures; each retaining its own properties, and together united in one subsistence and in one single person (εἰς ἓν πρόσωπον καὶ μίαν ὑπόστασιν, _eis hen prosopon kai mian hupostasin)_.[[7]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_union#cite_note-6) As the precise nature of this union is held to defy finite human comprehension, the hypostatic union is also referred to by the alternative term "mystical union." The [Oriental Orthodox Churches](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_Orthodox_Church), having rejected the Chalcedonian Creed, were known as [Monophysites](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monophysites) because they would only accept a definition that characterized the incarnate Son as having one nature. The [Chalcedonian](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalcedonian) "in two natures" formula was seen as derived from and akin to a [Nestorian](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestorian) Christology.[[8]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_union#cite_note-7) Contrariwise, the Chalcedonians saw the Oriental Orthodox as tending towards [Eutychian](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eutychianism) Monophysitism. However, the Oriental Orthodox have in modern ecumenical dialogue specified that they have never believed in the doctrines of Eutyches, that they have always affirmed that Christ's humanity is consubstantial with our own, and they thus prefer the term [Miaphysite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miaphysite) to refer to themselves (a reference to Cyrillian Christology, which used the phrase "mia physis tou theou logou sesarkomene"). In recent times, leaders from the [Eastern Orthodox](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Orthodox) and [Oriental Orthodox](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_Orthodox) Churches have signed joint statements in an attempt to work towards reunification. **[**[**edit**](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hypostatic_union&action=edit&section=3)**] See also** | | | |---|---| ||[**_Christianity portal_**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Christianity)| - [God-man (mystic)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God-man_(mystic)) **[**[**edit**](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hypostatic_union&action=edit&section=4)**] References** - 1. [**^**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_union#cite_ref-0) _Systematic Theology_ by Lewis Sperry Chafer 1993 [ISBN 0825423406](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0825423406) pages 382-384 [[1]](http://books.google.com/books?id=ZFCoSSKTffcC&pg=PA382&dq=Hypostatic+union&hl=en&ei=AVPgTMvlGImU4Abtqvj6Bw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CEAQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=Hypostatic%20union&f=false) 2. [**^**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_union#cite_ref-1) R. Norris, "Hypostasis," in The Encyclopedia of Early Christianity, ed. E. Ferguson. New York: Garland Publishing, 1997 3. [**^**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_union#cite_ref-2) [Aristotle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristotle), "Mund.", IV, 21. 4. [**^**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_union#cite_ref-3) Placher, William (1983). _A History of Christian Theology: An Introduction_. Philadelphia: Westminster Press. pp. 78–79. [ISBN](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Number) [0-664-244963](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-664-244963).  5. [**^**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_union#cite_ref-4) Gregory of Nyssa, _Antirrheticus adversus Apollinarem._ 6. [**^**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_union#cite_ref-5) "Theodore" in _The Westminster Dictionary of Christian History_, ed. J. Brauer. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1971. 7. [**^**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_union#cite_ref-6) [Denzinger](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denzinger), ed. Bannwart, 148 8. [**^**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_union#cite_ref-7) [Britishorthodox.org](http://www.britishorthodox.org/113e.php)  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the [public domain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain): Herbermann, Charles, ed (1913). [_Catholic Encyclopedia_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia). Robert Appleton Company. **What is the hypostatic union? How can Jesus be both God and man at the same time?** 107Share    **Question: "What is the hypostatic union? How can Jesus be both God and man at the same time?" Answer:** The hypostatic union is the term used to describe how God the Son, Jesus Christ, took on a human nature, yet remained fully God at the same time. Jesus always had been God ([John 8:58](http://biblia.com/bible/esv/John%208.58), [10:30](http://biblia.com/bible/esv/John%2010.30)), but at the incarnation Jesus became a human being ([John 1:14](http://biblia.com/bible/esv/John%201.14)). The addition of the human nature to the divine nature is Jesus, the God-man. This is the hypostatic union, Jesus Christ, one Person, fully God and fully man. Jesus' two natures, human and divine, are inseparable. Jesus will forever be the God-man, fully God and fully human, two distinct natures in one Person. Jesus' humanity and divinity are not mixed, but are united without loss of separate identity. Jesus sometimes operated with the limitations of humanity ([John 4:6](http://biblia.com/bible/esv/John%204.6), [19:28](http://biblia.com/bible/esv/John%2019.28)) and other times in the power of His deity ([John 11:43](http://biblia.com/bible/esv/John%2011.43); [Matthew 14:18-21](http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Matthew%2014.18-21)). In both, Jesus' actions were from His one Person. Jesus had two natures, but only one personality. The doctrine of the hypostatic union is an attempt to explain how Jesus could be both God and man at the same time. It is ultimately, though, a doctrine we are incapable of fully understanding. It is impossible for us to fully understand how God works. We, as human beings with finite minds, should not expect to totally comprehend an infinite God. Jesus is God’s Son in that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit ([Luke 1:35](http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Luke%201.35)). But that does not mean Jesus did not exist before He was conceived. Jesus has always existed ([John 8:58](http://biblia.com/bible/esv/John%208.58), [10:30](http://biblia.com/bible/esv/John%2010.30)). When Jesus was conceived, He became a human being in addition to being God ([John 1:1](http://biblia.com/bible/esv/John%201.1), [14](http://biblia.com/bible/esv/John%201.14)). Jesus is both God and man. Jesus has always been God, but He did not become a human being until He was conceived in Mary. Jesus became a human being in order to identify with us in our struggles ([Hebrews 2:17](http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Hebrews%202.17)) and, more importantly, so that He could die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins ([Philippians 2:5-11](http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Philippians%202.5-11)). In summary, the hypostatic union teaches that Jesus is both fully human and fully divine, that there is no mixture or dilution of either nature, and that He is one united Person, forever. **Recommended Resource:** [The Moody Handbook of Theology by Paul Enns](http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&p=1011693&item_no=434340). # Hypostasis (linguistics) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: [navigation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(linguistics)#mw-head), [search](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(linguistics)#p-search) _Also see_ [_hypostasis (religion)_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(religion))_._ In [linguistics](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguistics), a **hypostasis** (from the [Greek](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_language) word ὑπόστασις [[1]](http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3D%23109195) meaning _foundation_, _base_ or _that which stands behind_), is a relationship between a name and a known quantity, as a cultural personification (i.e. [objectification](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Objectification) with personality) of an entity or quality. It often connotes the personification of typically elemental powers, such as wind and fire, or human life, fertility, and death. In descriptive linguistics, the term was first introduced by [Leonard Bloomfield](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Bloomfield) to account for uses of [synsemantic](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Synsemantic&action=edit&redlink=1) words as [autosemantic](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Autosemantic&action=edit&redlink=1) in sentences such as _I'm tired of your_ **_buts_** _and_ **_ifs_**. In this sense, the usage meaning of the word is referred to as a whole. The term _hypostasis_ is considered to be scientifically and culturally neutral, for the purpose of describing name-to-term relationships that, within [religion](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion) and [theology](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theology) might be termed a "[deification](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deification)," or otherwise by the more pejorative "[idolatry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idolatry)." The concept of "hypostasis" functions as a kind of [conceptual inverse](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Conceptual_inverse&action=edit&redlink=1) for terms which may have originated as personal names, and have linguistically evolved to become common terms for general concepts and qualities. | | | |---|---| ||_This_ [_linguistics_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguistics) _article is a_ [_stub_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Stub)_. You can help Wikipedia by_ [_expanding it_](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hypostasis_(linguistics)&action=edit)_._| # Hypostasis (Neoplatonism) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: [navigation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(Neoplatonism)#mw-head), [search](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(Neoplatonism)#p-search) The word **hypostasis** means underlying state or underlying substance. It is the fundamental reality that supports all else. Neoplatonists argue that behind the surface phenomena that present themselves to our senses are three higher spiritual principles or hypostases, each one more sublime than the preceding. For [Plotinus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plotinus), these are the soul, being/intellect ([_Nous_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nous)), and the One. # Hypostatic model of personality From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia   (Redirected from [Hypostasis (personality)](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hypostasis_(personality)&redirect=no)) Jump to: [navigation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#mw-head), [search](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#p-search) | | | |---|---| |**Hypostatic model of personality**| | ||| |**Concepts** <br>[Personality aspect (hypostasis)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(linguistics)) <br>[Personality dimension](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuum_(theory)) <br>[Personality axis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiaxial_diagnosis) <br>[Intrapersonal relation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intrapersonal_communication) <br>[Interpersonal relation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpersonal_relationship)<br><br>**Originators** <br>[Charles Sanders Peirce](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Sanders_Peirce) <br>[William James](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_James) <br>[Aaron Rosanoff](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Rosanoff) <br>[Louis Guttman](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Guttman) <br>[C. Robert Cloninger](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._Robert_Cloninger) <br>**Proponents** <br>[Codrin Stefan Tapu](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Codrin_Stefan_Tapu&action=edit&redlink=1) <br>**Developers** <br>[Tessie J. Rodriguez](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tessie_J._Rodriguez&action=edit&redlink=1)<br><br>**Relevant works** <br>_Hypostatic Personality_[[1]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-multiple-0)|| |[**Psychology portal**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Psychology)|| The **hypostatic model of personality** is a contribution to the psychology of [personality](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personality_theory), summarized by Codrin Stefan Tapu in 2001.[[1]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-multiple-0) It argues that the person presents herself in different aspects or [hypostases](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(linguistics)), depending on the internal and external realities she relates to, including different epistemological approaches to the study of personality. Alternative terms here are "dimensional model", "aspect theory", and "healthy multiplicity". The model falls into the category of complex, [biopsychosocial](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biopsychosocial_model) approaches to personality. The history of the concept can be traced back to Peirce's [hypostatic abstraction](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_abstraction), or personification of traits. Different authors have described various _dimensions of the_ [_self_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self) (or _selves_), [personality dimensions](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuum_(theory)) and [subpersonalities](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subpersonalities). Contemporary studies link independent aspects of personality to specific [biological](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_determinism), [social](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_determinism), or [environmental](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_determinism) factors. The hypostatic model describes personality aspects and [dimensions](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimension), as well as intra- and [interpersonal relations](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpersonal_ties). Personality is viewed as both an agency and a construction, as the model is accompanied by specific methods of [assessment](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_assessment) and [psychotherapy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_counselling), addressing each of the personality dimensions. As a [constructivist](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructivist_epistemology) approach, it points to errors in [empiricist](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empiricism) assumptions, and exposes itself to criticisms of "lack of objectivity". | | |---| |## Contents<br><br>[[hide](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality))]<br><br>- [1 Historical background](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#Historical_background)<br> - [1.1 Origins and terminology](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#Origins_and_terminology)<br> - [1.2 Variants and evolution: selves and dimensions](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#Variants_and_evolution:_selves_and_dimensions)<br> - [1.3 Towards a contemporary integration](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#Towards_a_contemporary_integration)<br>- [2 Description](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#Description)<br> - [2.1 Organization of personality](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#Organization_of_personality)<br> - [2.2 Relations](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#Relations)<br> - [2.3 Personality as an agency and as a construction](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#Personality_as_an_agency_and_as_a_construction)<br>- [3 Methods](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#Methods)<br>- [4 General evaluation of the approach](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#General_evaluation_of_the_approach)<br>- [5 See also](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#See_also)<br>- [6 References](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#References)<br>- [7 External links](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#External_links)| ## [[edit](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hypostatic_model_of_personality&action=edit&section=1)] Historical background ### [[edit](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hypostatic_model_of_personality&action=edit&section=2)] Origins and terminology   Hypostatic abstraction [Charles Sanders Peirce](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Sanders_Peirce) introduced the concept of [hypostatic abstraction](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_abstraction), which is a [formal operation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formal_operation#Formal_operational_stage) that takes an element of [information](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information), such as might be expressed in a proposition of the form _"X is Y"_, and conceives its information to consist in the relation between a subject and another subject, such as expressed in a proposition of the form _"X has Y-ness"_.[[2]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-peir-1) In [linguistics](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguistics), [Leonard Bloomfield](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Bloomfield) introduced the concept of [hypostasis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(linguistics))[[3]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-bloom-2) to describe the personification of an object or state in sentences as _I'm tired of your_ **_buts_** _and_ **_ifs_**. [Aaron Rosanoff](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Rosanoff)'s theory of personality distinguishes seven dimensions (Normal, [Hysteroid](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hysteria), [Manic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mania), [Depressive](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depressive), [Autistic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autistic), [Paranoid](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paranoia), and [Epileptoid](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epilepsy)), which can be [epistatic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistatic) or hypostatic dimensions, the manifestation of the latter being concealed or inhibited by the former.[[4]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-bridges-3) ### [[edit](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hypostatic_model_of_personality&action=edit&section=3)] Variants and evolution: selves and dimensions In the philosophy of mind, [double-aspect theory](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-aspect_theory) is the view that the mental and the physical are two aspects of the same substance.[[5]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-st-4)   Selves according to William James In his [Principles of Psychology](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principles_of_Psychology),[[6]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-jam-5) [William James](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_James) describes four aspects of the [self](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self): - material self (the body and the person's closest possessions and relatives, including the family); - social self (the being-for-others); - spiritual self (the person's inner and subjective being, her psychic faculties and dispositions, taken concretely); - the "pure" [ego](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Id,_ego_and_super-ego#Ego) (the bare principle of personal unity). Using the same [paradigm](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradigm), cognitive psychologist [Ulric Neisser](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulric_Neisser) describes five "selves":[[7]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-6) - ecological self, as directly perceived with respect to the immediate physical environment; - interpersonal self, also directly perceived, established by specific emotional communication; - extended self, based on memory and anticipation; - private self (our private conscious experiences); - conceptual self, a system of socially-based assumptions and theories about human nature in general and ourselves in particular. [Facet Theory](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facet_Theory) asserts that social-behavioral concepts are multivariate, and therefore they could be better described in terms of their "facets" and dimensions rather than as undifferentiated wholes;[[8]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-rfse-7) this can also be done using [multidimensional scaling](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multidimensional_scaling).[[9]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Kruskal-8) [Hans Eysenck](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Eysenck)'s three factor model of personality contains the independent dimensions of [extraversion](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraversion), [neuroticism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroticism), and [psychoticism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychoticism); these different dimensions are caused by the properties of the brain, which themselves are the result of [genetic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetics) factors.[[10]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-eysenck-9) The [Big Five](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Five_personality_traits) model describes five personality dimensions that affect the whole behavior, with each dimension having several facets.[[11]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-saul-10) The [Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diagnostic_and_Statistical_Manual_of_Mental_Disorders) uses a multiaxial system of diagnosis, taking into account five dimensions: mental state, global personality, physical condition, environment, and global functioning of the person.[[12]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-apa-11) ### [[edit](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hypostatic_model_of_personality&action=edit&section=4)] Towards a contemporary integration Differentiation between various mental states and behavior patterns on the basis of their relation with brain and social environment became commonplace in contemporary [psychology](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychology) and [sociology](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociology).[[13]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-rosen-12)[[14]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-carter-13)[[15]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-salg-14)   Cloninger's biological dimensions of personality On the [biopsychological](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_psychology) side, [functional MRI](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functional_MRI) studies have shown that different behavioral and mental activities involve specific patterns of brain activation, corresponding to psychological states.[[16]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-15) [C. Robert Cloninger](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._Robert_Cloninger) defines three independent dimensions of personality, which are related to heritable variation in patterns of response to specific types of environmental stimuli; variation in each dimension is strongly correlated with activity in a specific central monoaminergic pathway:[[17]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-rfsf-16) - [novelty seeking](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novelty_seeking), with frequent exploratory activity and intense excitement in response to novel stimuli, and with low basal [dopaminergic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dopaminergic) activity; - [harm avoidance](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harm_avoidance), with intense responses to aversive stimuli and a tendency to learn to avoid punishment, novelty, and non-reward passively, and with high [serotonergic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serotonergic) activity; - [reward dependence](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reward_dependence), with intense responses to reward and succorance and a tendency to learn to maintain rewarded behavior, and with low basal [noradrenergic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noradrenergic) activity. These neurobiological dimensions interact to give rise to integrated patterns of differential responses to punishment, reward, and novelty.   Social roles according to role theory On the social-environmental side, [role theory](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role_theory)[[18]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-mer-17) defines the role as a set of connected behaviors, rights and obligations as conceptualized by actors in a social situation. Thus, roles can be: - [cultural](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural) roles: roles given by culture (e.g. priest); - [social differentiation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_differentiation): e.g. teacher, taxi driver; - [situation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situation)-specific roles: e.g. eye witness; - bio-sociological roles: e.g. as human in a natural [system](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System); - [gender](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender) roles: as a man, woman, mother, father, etc. As a core idea of his [transactional analysis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transactional_analysis), [Eric Berne](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Berne) asserts that there are at least three "persons" in each of us, calling them our "ego states": the Child (the emotional in us), the Adult (the rational in us), and the Parent (the authoritarian in us).[[19]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Berne-18) As functioning as a “society of mind”,[[20]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-19) the self is populated by a [multiplicity](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiplicity_(philosophy)) of “self-positions” that have the possibility to entertain [dialogical](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialogical_self) relationships with each other.[[21]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-her-20) [Internal Family Systems Model](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_Family_Systems_Model) combines [systems thinking](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_thinking) with the view that mind is made up of relatively discrete [subpersonalities](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subpersonalities) each with its own viewpoint and qualities.[[22]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Schwartz-21) ## [[edit](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hypostatic_model_of_personality&action=edit&section=5)] Description ### [[edit](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hypostatic_model_of_personality&action=edit&section=6)] Organization of personality   Personality components and dimensions Many schools of psychotherapy see subpersonalities as relatively enduring psychological structures or entities that influence how a person feels, perceives, behaves, and sees him- or herself.[[23]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Fall-22) According to the hypostatic model, human personality consists of four components or [hypostases](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(linguistics)), which are patterns of traits pertaining to specific systems in the brain, and are conceptualized by virtually every culture as being characteristic and/or essential to humans: - the basic cognitive component - "[Homo Sapiens](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_Sapiens)" (the [intelligent](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligent) and [creative](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creativity) person), which is in connection with [sensory areas](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_cortex) of the [cerebral cortex](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_cortex); - the verbal subsystem - "[Homo Loquens](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_alternative_names_for_the_human_species)" (the [speaking](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speaking), [communicating](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communicating), and [self-]controlling person), which is connected with the activities of [association areas](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_areas); - the [motivational](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivational) subsystem - "[Homo Potens](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Homo_Potens&action=edit&redlink=1)" (the [powerful](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerful) and energetic person), which is correlated with the activity of the [limbic system](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limbic_system); - the pragmatic component - "[Homo Faber](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_Faber)" (the [productive](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Productive) and industrious person), which is linked to [motor cortex](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_cortex) activity.[[24]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Tapucs-23)[[25]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Tapubr-24) Human behavior is generated through the interaction and coupling of these human aspects, creating personality dimensions.[[26]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Rodriguez-25) The six behavioral and personality dimensions are: - cognitive behavior, generated by Homo Sapiens and Homo Loquens[[27]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Tapucog-26) - the "[consciousness](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscious)" dimension;[[28]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Rodriguezstr-27) - practical behavior, produced by Homo Loquens and Homo Faber[[27]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Tapucog-26) - the "strength" dimension;[[28]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Rodriguezstr-27) - affective behavior, conducted by Homo Sapiens and Homo Potens[[27]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Tapucog-26) - the "[values](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Values)" dimension;[[29]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Rodriguezval-28) - [expressive](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affect_display) behavior, "co-worked" by Homo Potens and Homo Faber[[30]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Tapuexp-29) - the "[energy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy)" dimension;[[31]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Rodriguezdir-30) - personality [regulation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regulation), provided by Homo Loquens and Homo Potens, which form the regulative axis of personality[[27]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Tapucog-26) - individual "direction";[[31]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Rodriguezdir-30) - general perceptual-motor [adaptation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adaptation), ranging from simple reactions to complex adaptive patterns, performed by Homo Sapiens together with Homo Faber, which form the adaptive axis of personality[[27]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Tapucog-26) - individual "depth".[[29]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Rodriguezval-28) In every specific task, one of the first four dimensions (cognitive, practical, affective, or expressive) is dominant, being at the center of the experience, whereas the other three are subordinated to it. Regulative and adaptive dimensions are constantly acting as a background throughout the behavioral process.[[32]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Taputask-31) The same model was extended to the familial-organizational and societal levels.[[33]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Taputwo-32) ### [[edit](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hypostatic_model_of_personality&action=edit&section=7)] Relations   Intrapersonal relations According to the model, [intrapersonal](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intrapersonal) relations can be:[[34]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Taputhree-33) - direct relations (cognitive [decision](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decision_making) followed by practical action: "I decided that's better for me to leave my boyfriend, and I told him that", or affective decision followed by expressive action: "I love my girlfriend, so I'm always gentle with her"); - crossed relations (cognitive decision followed by expressive action: "Today I decided that it's better for me to break up with my girlfriend, and I'll behave so that she will leave me", or affective decision followed by practical action: "We love each other; that's why we are moving in together").   Interpersonal relations [Interpersonal](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpersonal) relations can also be:[[34]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Taputhree-33) - direct (cognitive reaction to another persons's practical action: "My girlfriend wants to make up with me, and I agree, because that's better for both of us", or affective reaction to the other's expressive action: "She loves me, I can feel it in her eyes"); - crossed (affective reaction to other's practical action: "My partner wants to buy me a house, and therefore I assume he/she loves me", or cognitive reaction to an expressive action of another person: "He is giving me a bitter look, and I'm wondering what is wrong?"). ### [[edit](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hypostatic_model_of_personality&action=edit&section=8)] Personality as an agency and as a construction   Personality and behavior according to the hypostatic model In addition to this "doing" dimension of personality, there is also a "being made" dimension, including the constitutive axes - each one formed of a personality [trait](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trait_theory) (which can be cognitive, verbal, motivational, or pragmatic, depending on the personality aspect), a mental and behavioral activity related to it (which can be cognitive, practical, affective, expressive, regulative, or adaptive), and their [brain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_brain) and environmental correlates, respectively.[[35]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Tapua-34) Each constitutive axis consists of two couples: one formed by a brain factor and the corresponding behavior, shaping a psychological [disposition](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disposition) or trait, and the other one formed by that psychological trait and its environmental correlate, generating the specific [behavior](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behavior).[[35]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Tapua-34) For example, assertive behavior is determined by environmental factors and [assertiveness](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assertiveness), whereas assertiveness itself, as a trait, is the product of both brain predisposition and assertive behavior. This model provides a comprehensive picture of the emergent relations between personality traits, behavior, environment, and [biology](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biology).[[36]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Tapufour-35) ## [[edit](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hypostatic_model_of_personality&action=edit&section=9)] Methods This theoretical model laid the foundation of a methodology of assessment and psychotherapy based on the same "couples of forces", consisting of: - [biological](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_psychology) and [ecological](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_psychology) assessment through methods of dynamic analysis of [development](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developmental_psychology),[[37]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Tapucsa-36) investigating the complex interplay of stimulating and inhibiting factors of development and their effects on developmental speed (acceleration or deceleration), with prognostic implications; - [cognitive](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive) and [affective](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affective) techniques (method of prints of consciousness,[[38]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Tapucsc-37) based on self-coverage and [self-report](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-report_inventory); human liberty test,[[39]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Tapucsf-38) using free-choice activities in order to study probability in an individual's behavior); - [practical](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Practical) techniques (method of operational chains,[[40]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Tapucsd-39) a form of [mental chronometry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_chronometry)); - [regulative](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regulation) techniques[[41]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Tapucsg-40) (task boosting techniques); - [perceptual](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perception)-motor adaptation techniques (test of adaptive reactivity;[[42]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Tapucsh-41) method of adaptive therapy,[[43]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Tapuad-42) based on non-specific perceptual-motor [learning](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning)); - [relational](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpersonal_relationship) techniques, aimed at assessing and replacing crossed relations with direct relations.[[44]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-Tapufive-43) ## [[edit](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hypostatic_model_of_personality&action=edit&section=10)] General evaluation of the approach Being a constructivist approach, it maintains "the widespread, commonsensical, subject-centered, Aristotelian-empiricist epistemological paradigm", and, pointing to errors in empiricist assumptions, "it swings to a relativist epistemology without abandoning the paradigm itself". [[45]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-44) [Karl Jaspers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Jaspers) criticized the hypostatic method as used in the study of personality, arguing that: Types, images, and theoretical systems are used by us purely as schemata of ideas to illuminate the path of our knowledge of particulars but they are not significant for knowledge in themselves. If now we objectify these schemata, images and theories and give them a being as if they were there as an object is there, then we 'hypostasise' an idea. This is the way in which ideas lose all their élan as a break-through movement of knowledge into the open and the knowledge we are left with is a sort of pseudo-knowledge which sooner or later will have to reveal itself as 'lacking in objectivity'.[[46]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostasis_(personality)#cite_note-jas-45) ## [[edit](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hypostatic_model_of_personality&action=edit&section=11)] See also - [Personality systematics](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personality_systematics) - [Cognitive-affective personality system](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive-affective_personality_system) - [Systems psychology](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_psychology) - [Intrapersonal communication](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intrapersonal_communication) - [Constructivist epistemology](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructivist_epistemology)