Differentia

al-faṣl

الفَصْل

A differentia (faṣl) is a universal predicated of a thing in answer to the question “which thing is it in its essence?”

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Explanation

It separates a species from what shares its genus: “rational” separates human from the other animals, and it is part of the human essence.

Also written as: fasl, differentia, specific difference.

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