noun
- the quality or state of being given; something that is accepted as true or real without question
- the fact or condition of being provided or granted
Usage: often used in philosophy and phenomenology to describe aspects of experience that are presented to consciousness as already existing
Examples
- The givenness of our biological nature shapes how we perceive the world.
- In phenomenology, givenness refers to what is immediately present to consciousness.
- We often take the givenness of language for granted until we try to learn a new one.
- The givenness of historical facts does not mean they cannot be reinterpreted.
- Philosophers debate whether mathematical truths have a kind of givenness independent of human thought.
- The givenness of our social roles influences our identity and behavior.