metaphysic

metaphysic — noun

1. the area of philosophy that explores what the world is really like at the deepes

1.名詞C2
釋義

the area of philosophy that explores what the world is really like at the deepest level — what kinds of things exist, what it means for something to exist, and how the most basic elements of the universe connect to one another.

例句

In her first year, Greta found metaphysic — the study of what exists — more abstract than expected.

uncountable: 'metaphysic' without article

A course in metaphysic asks whether numbers exist in the same way tables do.

course in metaphysic + existence question

同義詞
  • ontology

    narrower — only the part of metaphysic that asks what kinds of things exist, not the full range of questions about reality

文法句型

the study of metaphysic

in metaphysic

用法筆記

Often used without an article, like 'metaphysics'. In modern academic writing 'metaphysics' is the more common form; 'metaphysic' in this sense carries a slightly older or more literary flavour.

常見錯誤

❌I am studying metaphysic this semester, it is a branch of physics.
✅I am studying metaphysic this semester; it is a branch of philosophy, not physics.
💡The word looks like 'physics' but belongs to philosophy.

2. a particular set of connected ideas about the deepest nature of reality, created

2.名詞C2
釋義

a particular set of connected ideas about the deepest nature of reality, created within a specific philosophical school, by a certain thinker, or as part of a cultural tradition.

例句

The Buddhist metaphysic that Sirin studied centres on impermanence and the idea of no fixed self.

countable: '[tradition]'s metaphysic'

Imran compared Aristotle's metaphysic with that of the medieval Persian philosopher Avicenna.

同義詞
  • system of metaphysics

    a more explanatory phrase but less compact

  • worldview

    broader — includes ethics, politics, and everyday beliefs, not just the philosophical principles about reality

文法句型

[philosopher]'s metaphysic

a/the metaphysic of

用法筆記

Takes a determiner (a metaphysic, Aristotle's metaphysic, the Kantian metaphysic). Contrast with sense 1, which is uncountable.

常見錯誤

❌Spinoza metaphysic is hard to read.
✅Spinoza's metaphysic is hard to read.
💡When referring to a particular thinker's system, use the possessive form.

3. the core assumptions, rules, and concepts that shape how a particular academic f

3.名詞C2
釋義

the core assumptions, rules, and concepts that shape how a particular academic field or theory is understood and studied — the basic picture of reality that a discipline takes for granted.

例句

Felix argued that the metaphysic of modern economics assumes people act in their own interest.

pattern: 'the metaphysic of [field]'

The metaphysic of classical physics treated space and time as separate containers for events.

同義詞

文法句型

the metaphysic of [field]

underlying metaphysic

用法筆記

Usually followed by 'of' plus a field or theory name (the metaphysic of biology, the metaphysic of quantum theory). Unlike sense 1, this does not refer to the whole discipline of philosophy.

常見錯誤

❌The metaphysic of chemistry is studied in chemistry departments.
✅The metaphysic of chemistry refers to the basic assumptions chemists make about matter, not to routine lab work.
💡Learners may expect this to be a subfield taught within the discipline itself; it is actually a philosophical reflection on that discipline.