Where does the phrase in and of itself come from?
- John Howe 1675, talking about god having the power of action in and of himself in a puritan theological tract. Claimed it’s just for rhetorical emphasis, but I’m not sure
- Might have come from Latin, or maybe the german an und für sich, though a common source is more likely
- Similar terms in Heidegger, (and then Sartre) might have something to do with the German phrase?