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metaphysicsmore about metaphysics

metaphysics


  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Metaphysics  \Met`a*phys"ics\,  n.  [Gr.  ?  ?  ?  after  those  things 
  which  relate  to  external  nature,  after  physics,  fr  ?  beyond, 
  after  +  ?  relating  to  external  nature,  natural,  physical,  fr 
  ?  nature:  cf  F.  m['e]taphysique.  See  {Physics}.  The  term  was 
  first  used  by  the  followers  of  Aristotle  as  a  name  for  that 
  part  of  his  writings  which  came  after  or  followed,  the  part 
  which  treated  of  physics.] 
  1.  The  science  of  real  as  distinguished  from  phenomenal 
  being  ontology;  also  the  science  of  being  with 
  reference  to  its  abstract  and  universal  conditions,  as 
  distinguished  from  the  science  of  determined  or  concrete 
  being  the  science  of  the  conceptions  and  relations  which 
  are  necessarily  implied  as  true  of  every  kind  of  being 
  phylosophy  in  general;  first  principles,  or  the  science  of 
  first  principles. 
 
  Note:  Metaphysics  is  distinguished  as  general  and  special. 
  {General  metaphysics}  is  the  science  of  all  being  as 
  being  {Special  metaphysics}  is  the  science  of  one  kind 
  of  being  as  the  metaphysics  of  chemistry,  of  morals, 
  or  of  politics.  According  to  Kant,  a  systematic 
  exposition  of  those  notions  and  truths,  the  knowledge 
  of  which  is  altogether  independent  of  experience,  would 
  constitute  the  science  of  metaphysics. 
 
  Commonly,  in  the  schools,  called  metaphysics,  as 
  being  part  of  the  philosophy  of  Aristotle,  which 
  hath  that  for  title;  but  it  is  in  another  sense: 
  for  there  it  signifieth  as  much  as  ``books 
  written  or  placed  after  his  natural  philosophy.'' 
  But  the  schools  take  them  for  ``books  of 
  supernatural  philosophy;''  for  the  word 
  metaphysic  will  bear  both  these  senses  --Hobbes. 
 
  Now  the  science  conversant  about  all  such 
  inferences  of  unknown  being  from  its  known 
  manifestations,  is  called  ontology,  or 
  metaphysics  proper.  --Sir  W. 
  Hamilton. 
 
  Metaphysics  are  [is]  the  science  which  determines 
  what  can  and  what  can  not  be  known  of  being  and 
  the  laws  of  being  a  priori.  --Coleridge. 
 
  2.  Hence:  The  scientific  knowledge  of  mental  phenomena; 
  mental  philosophy;  psychology. 
 
  Metaphysics,  in  whatever  latitude  the  term  be  taken 
  is  a  science  or  complement  of  sciences  exclusively 
  occupied  with  mind.  --Sir  W. 
  Hamilton. 
 
  Whether,  after  all  A  larger  metaphysics  might  not 
  help  Our  physics.  --Mrs. 
  Browning. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  metaphysics 
  n  :  the  philosophical  study  of  being  and  knowing 




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