Repetition and Stability within Human Temporality: An Existential-Phenomenological Approach
The Polish Journal of Aesthetics September 2, 2026 DOI: 10.19205/76.26.2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that repetition is a constitutive act, not mere recurrence, through which authenticity, continuity, and self-understanding are enacted within time, and that a threefold temporal model—ecstatic-horizontal, cyclical-repetitive, and linear-irreversible—integrates phenomenology and embodiment theory to explain identity formation. |
Abstract
This article develops a threefold model of human temporality—ecstatic-horizontal, cyclical-repetitive, and linear-irreversible—by integrating insights from Heideggerian phenomenology, embodiment theory, and contemporary phenomenological research. Emphasizing the role of repetition across all three dimensions, the article explores how temporal structure contributes to the formation and stability of personal identity. Special attention is given to the interplay between consciousness and embodiment, and to the existential implications of finitude. Repetition emerges not as mere recurrence, but as a constitutive act, at times taking on a rhythmic character, through which authenticity, continuity, and self-understanding are enacted within time.