What Does trichotomy Mean
The Greek word trichotomy came to Spanish as trichotomy . The term has different uses according to the context .
Classification Mechanism
In the field of philosophy , trichotomy is a classification mechanism in which the various segmentations or partitions consist of three parts . The concept can be linked to a triad : a set of three elements that are interrelated with each other.
Aristotle believed in three types of souls: vegetable, animal and human
There are many trichotomies that we can find throughout the history of philosophy. It is enough to take a look at the legacy of Thomas Aquinas , for example, to find discussions about the principle of causality , according to which a cause and an effect must be associated with each event . We cannot conceive of this principle without taking into account these three elements, although each one can act independently outside of it.
Nor can we fail to mention the work of Plato, another of the great philosophers who relied on the use of the trichotomy for his observation of life. In this case we can talk about his explanation of the values of humanity, which can be summarized in the following three pillars: goodness, truth and beauty . This last concept, beauty, was understood by the ancient Greeks in a way similar to ours: anything that pleases our senses, that arouses admiration. Plato considered wisdom to be the most beautiful thing he could behold.
Aristotle, one of the most acclaimed philosophers in history, was the author of the work entitled About the soul , in which he talks about the trichotomy that involves the three types of soul that exist , each of them belonging to a group of beings well defined alive. In the first place we have the plants , which can only fulfill the minimum functions, which are to feed and reproduce. Then come the "lower" animals , which Aristotle considered capable of this and, moreover, of perceiving the world through the senses and moving of their own free will. The humans finally add to all this the intellect.
Body, soul and spirit
The idea of trichotomy also appears in the realm of theology . Used by the Gnostics, the trichotomy supposes that the perfect man is divided into spirit , soul and body .
While the soul and body occur naturally, the spirit is obtained through God's intervention when a person becomes a Christian through baptism or even conversion . Thus is born the so-called new man who can reach heaven.
The question of trichotomy, however, is often a matter of theological debate. There are positions that support the existence of a dichotomy : body and soul / spirit.
Trichotomy and dichotomy coincide in indicating that the body dies and that the immaterial part of the human being (soul, spirit) transcends death. It is important to note that allusions to both positions (man as trichotomy and as dichotomy) can be found in the Bible .
The trichotomy of the perfect man: "body, soul and spirit"
Trichotomy in other fields
In the field of botany , on the other hand, trichotomy occurs when a branch or a stem trifurcates . This means that they are divided into three arms.
The stems of a plant , in this framework, can be fragmented by trifurcation. In this way, the trichotomy implies that, from the same stem, three extensions are extended.
In the field of mathematics , the trichotomy law proposes that every real number must meet one of the following two conditions without exceptions: it must be less than, equal to or greater than another real number. The classical logic uses this axiom to compare real numbers, integers and rational.