>[!abstract] >The philosophy of subtraction is an approach that emphasizes understanding, progress, or well-being not through addition of more entities, concepts, or possessions, but through removal—of illusions, excess, or unnecessary complexity. In metaphysics, it can denote thought experiments that imagine reality by “subtracting” features to test what is essential. In cultural or practical contexts, it aligns with [[Via negativa|via negativa]], minimalism, and apophatic traditions: stripping away the inessential to reveal underlying truth or function. The philosophy highlights that clarity and value often emerge from reduction, restraint, and simplification rather than accumulation. >[!related] >- **North** (upstream): [[Minimalism]] >- **West** (similar): [[Via negativa]] >- **East** (different): [[Philosophy of addition]] >- **South** (downstream): [[Badiou’s subtractive ontology]]