IDENTITY
Charles François (2004). IDENTITY, International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(1): 1609.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 1609 ▶ |
| Object type | General information |
The set of permanent characteristics of a system which allows to recognize it in different instances.
The establishment of identity is preceded by a process of entification.
The identity of a system is based on its autopoietic relations of production, which leads K. KRIPPENDORFF to define it in a seemingly dubious way, as: “A transformation always reproducing the original” (1986, p.27).
Even in this sense, identity is thus merely the persistence in time of the basic characteristics of the entity (See hereafter).
Absolute identity between two or more objects is obviously impossible, as it would imply perfect coincidence of their spatial and temporal characteristics. Identity in this sense is possible only among abstract entities.