All 5 Uses
metaphysical
in
Atlas Shrugged
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- While I was writing a thesis on the influence-upon subsequent metaphysical systems-of Aristotle's theory of the Immovable Mover.†
Chpt 1.5 *metaphysical = about things beyond the physical world, such as existence, reality, or the soul
- "Man's metaphysical pretensions," he said, "are preposterous.†
Chpt 1.6
- Have you ever heard of The Metaphysical Contradictions of the Universe, by Dr. Simon Pritchett?†
Chpt 1.9
- What sort of metaphysical subject are you trying to deal with?†
Chpt 3.4
- Such a being is a metaphysical monstrosity, struggling to oppose, negate and contradict the fact of his own existence, running blindly amuck on a trail of destruction, capable of nothing but pain.†
Chpt 3.7
Definitions:
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(1)
(metaphysical) relating to things beyond the physical world—such as existence, reality, God, or the soul—and sometimes to ideas that are very abstract or overly theoreticalPeople often use metaphysical for beliefs or questions that go beyond what can be directly tested by science—for example, beliefs about the soul, God, or what ultimately makes something real. These are usually things without material form that you cannot touch or measure.
In philosophy, metaphysical specifically refers to metaphysics, the branch of philosophy that studies being and knowing—questions like "What is real?", "Do we have free will?", or "What does it mean for something to exist?"
In everyday language, someone might call a discussion metaphysical if it feels very abstract or "off in the clouds," as in "They got lost in a metaphysical argument about whether anything is truly knowable." -
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) More rarely, metaphysical can reference a 17th-century style of British poetry.