The hypostasis attributes an independent existence to an abstract concept.
Hypostasis comes from Late Latin hypostăsis , in turn derived from Greek hypostasis . The first definition mentioned by the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) in its dictionary refers to taking something abstract as real .
From abstract to existing
Hypostasis involves considering an abstract concept and attributing to it an independent existence . In other words, it grants the rank of substance to what is just a relationship or a property of an element.
It is possible to associate the hypostasis with idealism , since this philosophical movement supports the independent existence of ideas . In Neoplatonism, we have the theory of the Hellenistic Greek philosopher Plotinus, who discussed the hypostases of the One, the intellect and the soul. Note that Neoplatonism is the name given to the various points in history in which Platonism (the philosophical doctrine created by Plato's disciples since the 1st century BC) was revitalized.
It is common to find this term as a synonym for substance or being , although this is not entirely precise. However, from a metaphysical or ontological perspective, we can say that it is equivalent to "being in a real, true way" or even "true reality." The Prussian philosopher Immanuel Kant began using the word hypostatize to refer to the different cases in which the action of thinking about objects that do not exist in reality is mixed with the knowledge that we supposedly have about them.
Etymology
At the beginning of this article we mentioned the origin of this term, but below we will see its etymology in greater depth. The Greek noun hypostasis arose from the verb hyphístēmi , which can be defined as "to be under, to exist, to be present" or as "to put or place under, to sustain", depending on whether we study its definition as an intransitive or transitive verb, respectively.
Both Aristotle and Hippocrates used this word in a scientific sense, such as "support, underlying, that which accumulates under a surface", such as precipitation, sediment or the resin that descends from plants. The time came when they began to assign metaphorical meanings, such as "foundation, basic concept, general plan."
It is likely that the meaning used in philosophy has derived from the idea of the sediment that accumulates at the bottom of a vessel with liquid, since this cannot be observed from the first moment, when the liquid is poured, because it is "hidden." »; However, it gradually accumulates and condenses until it becomes visible at the base. In fact, even after evaporation of the liquid, the sediment remains. Thus they arrived at the idea of an existence that is not imaginary and that is maintained over time .
hypostatic union
The notion of hypostasis also appears in the field of the Christian religion to name the persons of the Holy Trinity .
In this religious case, the hypostasis is the singular substance of each of these three persons ( Father , Son and Holy Spirit ), who share a common immaterial essence. Expressed in a different way, the Holy Trinity is made up of three hypostases .
The hypostatic union , in this framework, is the Incarnation . It is about the coexistence of divine nature and human nature in Christ .
For legal medicine, hypostasis are red spots that appear on the back of corpses.
In legal medicine
Forensic medicine , on the other hand, also uses the term. In this context, hypostases are the red spots that appear on the back of lifeless bodies due to the accumulation of blood .
Visceral hypostasis is one of the changes that are recorded in the postmortem body. This phenomenon occurs from the collection of blood in the lungs, intestines and other viscera, which acquire a reddish hue due to this particularity.