The breaking down or destruction of something by its own internal forces or processes.
From Greek 'autos' (self) and 'klasís' (breaking). The term literally means 'self-breaking' and is used in geology, chemistry, and medicine to describe breakdown caused by internal factors.
A rock can undergo autoclasis when internal crystalline stresses build up and the rock fractures itself without any external impact—it's destruction from within. This concept shows up across sciences: cells can autoclast, minerals can autoclast, even cultural traditions autoclast from internal contradictions.
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