Methexis

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process of using a tangible representation to illustrate an abstract idea
2. Engaging a physical form to symbolize and convey more profound meanings or concepts
3. The act of joining or sharing in a symbolic or abstract portrayal of an idea or concept

Etymology: Plato gave this Greek word its philosophical weight. In ancient Greek, "méthexis" meant "participation" or "sharing", derived from "metéchein", to have a share of something. Plato used it to explain how particular things in the visible world relate to the Forms, the perfect, unchanging ideas he believed lay behind them: a beautiful rose was beautiful by participating in the Form of Beauty. English borrowed the term as a technical word in philosophy and theology, and it kept something of that sense. In the modern meaning given here, the concept runs in reverse: instead of a physical thing sharing in an abstract idea, a tangible object or image is used to make the idea visible. The Greek root that gave rise to the word is "metá" (with, among) combined with "échein" (to have), so the idea of having something in common with another thing sits at its core.

Synonyms: participation, involvement