metaphysics
English meaning: Metaphysics
English Definition
(English)Metaphysics (Greek: meta = beyond, physika = physics) addresses what lies beyond the physical world as described by science. Core metaphysical questions include: Does free will exist? Is the universe deterministic? What is time? What persists through change? Indian philosophical traditions — Advaita Vedanta, Nyaya, Vaisheshika — have rich metaphysical frameworks addressing these same questions.
English Definition
The branch of philosophy that investigates the fundamental nature of reality — questions about existence, causation, space, time, free will, and the relationship between mind and matter. It is the most foundational area of philosophical inquiry.
Example
“Kant's 'Critique of Pure Reason' attempted to draw the limits of metaphysics — distinguishing what reason can know from what it inevitably oversteps.”
In English: “Kant argued that traditional metaphysics oversteps the legitimate bounds of human reason.”
Synonyms
- first philosophy
- ontology
- cosmology
Antonyms / Opposites
- empirical science
- positivism
Literary Heritage
“What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning.”
“What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning.”
Images
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Language information
- Language
- English
- English
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Indo-European
- Speakers
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